My Life is an Oxymoron
by Anonomys
Summary: Season 3: After the war on Saria, Star Fox faces an old enemy. But this time, Star Wolf seems to be ahead of the game. And with a new member, Fox needs to keep his team together, even when it's falling apart. THIS STORY IS DEAD.
1. Chapter 1

Alright let me fill you in. I'm attempting a small series. It's all going to be chronological. Falco, being my favorite character, is going to be the beginning… other than that vague Star Wolf thing before. That was just getting it started. Anyway, I'm going to start with Falco's past. Original, right? But, come on, everyone loves Falco.

And I have NO IDEA where Falco is from, so it's just never going to be mentioned, okay?

Well, here we go.

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Prologue_=

I hate this damn town, and it hates me. I mean, it must. I live in a ratty apartment building that costs a shit load more than it should. Not to mention the way I make money. Yup, you guessed it: I'm in a gang. It's just a small group of people. Nonetheless, I am at the bottom of the totem pole. I never get to take part in the action. I drive the damn team wherever the job is; most of the time it's just small convenience stores. I want some thrill. I could really care less about the money. I just want a life experience; some exciting story that I'd be proud to have done. Something that people would admire me for, but not a hero or anything like that. Does this make any sense? People tell me I should enroll in the Cornerian Defense Academy, but I don't like the idea. To me, you should fly because you want to, not because you have to, and especially not to kill people. Sure, they save the Lylat system and whatnot, but they kill people to get it that way. I fly because I like the way it feels. I can leave my problems on the ground. Unfortunately, when driving the gang places, I have to use a car. It was obviously stolen. It looks way too expensive for them to be able to afford. I don't mind though. It feels pretty good to be behind the wheel of that car. Me, I drive my motorcycle. Cliché, right? Story of my life… so far.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own anything, okay? Except the characters that I made up, but I'm sure you don't care. By the way, I am switching to third-person. I just like to do the prologue in first-person. Sue me.

=_=_=_=_=_=_=

=_Chapter 1_=

"_Hey Falco, you lazy ass," _the voice on his answering machine said, "_Get your sleeping butt outta bed and get down here."_

Falco groaned as he reluctantly pulled the covers off and rolled off of his bed… and onto the floor. He picked himself up and proceeded to the bathroom.

After he was showered and dressed, he left the apartment building and walked down the sidewalk. He quickened his pace as he passed his neighbor's house. Apparently not quick enough.

"HEY FALCO!" A short-haired Yorkshire terrier popped up next to him.

"Hey Charlie," Falco greeted him and slowed down so the puppy would not follow him too far.

"Charlie!" A voice called from the house, "Charlie, stay where I can see you!"

"Aw, Mom, I'm fine!" Charlie called back, "So, Falco, where are you going today?"

"Work," Falco stated as he approached his motorcycle.

"Where do you work? Huh? Did you go to college? What did you study? My mom says that if I want to get a good job then I have to go to college."

"Your mom's right," Falco said, "Stay in school, brush your teeth, eat your vegetables, all that jazz." Falco swung his leg over the side of the bike and shifted in the seat. Charlie's eyes widened as the vehicle's engine hummed to life.

"I want a scooter just like that when I grow up," Charlie said.

Falco chuckled. "This isn't a scooter, kid," he said, "And your mom probably wouldn't like you buying one. Besides, it takes a while to learn how to ride one."

Charlie looked at his feet. "Could you teach me?"

"Sure, Charlie," Falco sighed.

A wide grin broke across his face and he looked up at Falco. "Really? You mean it?"

Falco smiled, "Just make sure it's alright with your mom."

"Oh," Charlie's expression dropped a bit, "Right."

"Later, kid," Falco said. He twisted the throttle and the motorcycle sped down the road.

=_=_=_=_=

"Where the hell have you been?!"

"Relax," Falco said, keeping a calm expression, "It's not like you have to be on time for a robbery."

The hyena grabbed Falco by his jacket and pushed him up against the wall. "Listen you son of a bitch," he snarled, "I am sick of you coming in here and acting like you own this whole damn place. Well I've got some news for you. _I_ own it. If you don't start showing me some respect then you'll have to find yourself a new job."

Falco decided it was best to just stop talking for once. The boss would never let him do anything but drive the car if he kept smart-mouthing him. "Sorry, _sir._"

He let go of Falco's jacket and took a step back. "Damn right you are," he said, "As for the rest of you, get ready. Falco, you drive Jasper and Alex to that fast food place a few blocks from here. Jasper, don't take so much money this time. We want to keep a low profile. I don't want any cops coming around here."

The black and gray cat rolled his eyes. "I can't have a little fun?"

"You have too much fun," Alex, a German shepherd, said.

"Just do what you're told," the boss said, "Ralph and I will be hitting a store not too far from there. Which means you'll drop us off, be quick with your task, then zip around and pick us up. If you're late, we all go down. You got that, Lombardi?"

"Yeah, yeah," Falco said.

"It won't take too long," Alex said as he flexed his arm muscle.

"Yeah, because I'll be using these," Jasper said as he twirled two blasters on his fingers and slid them into the holsters.

Ralph, a quiet raccoon, looked quizzically at the cat. He was relatively new to the crew. "You're not going to kill anyone, are you?" He asked.

"Ah, shut up," Jasper said.

"No, he's not," the boss glared at him, "Because that would be even worse than a robbery. Jasper Monroe may be an idiot, but he's not stupid."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Jasper asked uneasily.

The boss ignored him. "Well, you ready kid?" He asked Ralph, who nodded hesitantly.

=_=_=_=_=

After Falco had dropped off the hyena and raccoon, he turned the car around and headed towards their target.

"You guys have to be quick, alright?" He told them, "I have to get Ralph and Boss on time."

"Hey," Jasper said, "I don't tell you how to drive this piece of scrap, and you don't tell me how to do my job."

"We'll be quick, Falco," Alex said and pushed Jasper out the door.

Falco sat at the wheel and tapped his fingers on the wheel impatiently. God, he hated his job. He peered into the window of the restaurant. He saw two figures running towards the door. He started the engine and prepared for their getaway. Moments later, both Alex and Jasper ran out into the parking lot. Alex carried a bag in each hand. Jasper had a bag in one hand, and his middle finger sticking up on the other. He gave Falco a big grin as he slid across the hood and jumped into his seat. Falco rolled his eyes and quickly floored it.

"WOO!" Jasper screamed, "God I love that! You would not believe the amount of adrenaline you get."

Alex nodded in agreement. "They were easy though. You didn't even have to pull out a gun."

"Cause they froze as soon as they saw how huge you are," Jasper laughed.

Alex sighed a contented sigh. "My dad had hoped I'd become a great athlete."

Falco chuckled. "Get ready to open the doors, alright?"

They pulled up to the door of the store just as Ralph and their boss burst from the doors, each carrying a small sack. They quickly slid into the car, and Falco sped out of the lot. Ralph had a look of shock on his face.

Falco laughed. "I can never get over that face, Ralphy."

"Relax, kid," Alex said, "It's over."

Ralph managed a nod and finally exhaled.

"Alright boys," the hyena said, "Hand it over." Alex, Jasper, and Ralph handed him their bags. After digging through them, he turned to his team and handed them each their payment. "Don't spend it all in one place."

=_=_=_=_=

Falco parked his bike in the usual spot and dismounted. He yawned as he walked down the sidewalk. He looked down at each of the bills that his boss had given him. Forty bucks? Not bad for one day. He'd have to put twenty of it away for rent at the end of the month. The other twenty would barely get him some dinner.

He looked at his watch. _Crap_, he thought, _He's probably around at this time._

Sure enough, as Falco neared the grocery store, he was stopped by a green lizard wearing a tight leather jacket.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said in a raspy voice.

"Get out of my way, Leon," Falco said.

"So I guess you got paid today, huh?" Leon Powalski asked.

"Get out of my way, Leon," Falco repeated.

"No cocky remarks tonight, I see?" Leon smirked, "Too bad. I usually enjoy the banter." Falco ignored him and tried to pass. Leon stopped him and smiled a wry half-smile. "How much did you get today?"

"I'm keeping it all, lizard boy," Falco glared at him, "Now get out of my way."

Leon pulled his hand back and swung at Falco in one swift motion. Falco took the hit and staggered backwards. Leon tried again, but Falco was expecting him this time. He caught Leon's wrist and twisted it behind his back. He then kicked Leon's feet out from under him. Before he could get up, Falco had bolted for the store. Leon wouldn't follow him in there. Then he could leave through the back exit and avoid another encounter. He entered the market, bought what he needed, and continued with his plan. Luckily, he didn't run into Leon again on his way home.

As he passed his neighbor's house, he heard a familiar squealing. "Falco!" Charlie called, "Hey, Falco!"

Charlie stood on his porch with his mother, who was trying to get the over active little boy to stop jumping. But Charlie skipped down the steps and ran up to Falco anyway.

"Guess what!" He said.

"I'm guessing your mom is going to let you take a ride on my motorcycle?" Falco laughed.

"YEAH!" Charlie squealed.

"I thought so," Falco said, "But, hey, why don't we do that tomorrow, alright? I'm just going to go to bed."

"Okay!" Charlie said, "G'night, Falco!" And with that, Charlie ran back to his house.

Once inside his apartment, Falco ate his dinner and crawled into bed. It was barely eight o'clock. Screw it, he was tired.


	3. Chapter 3

=_=_=_=_=_=_=

=_Chapter 2_=

Falco woke up later than he had planned. At least there were no messages on the machine. He hung his legs off of the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes. Then, of course, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Falco answered wearily.

Jasper's energetic voice came on the other line. _"Falco, buddy, chum, amigo, comrade-"_

"Dear lord," Falco stopped Jasper from ranting, "What do you want?"

_"That crazy hyena gave us the day off." _

"Everyone?"

_"Nah, just us. He and Alex are taking Ralph to the gym."_

"Kay, well thanks for telling me. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

_"Whoa there, feathers," _Jasper said, _"Just what do you plan on doing all day?"_

"Hadn't really thought about it," Falco shrugged, "Figured I'd hang here; maybe take a ride on my bike."

_"Wrong, sir!" _Jasper shouted, "_I know what you're doing today. I'll be at your place in ten minutes." _Jasper hung up before Falco could protest.

_Damn cat,_ he thought. Once he was fully awake and dressed, he left his apartment building and sat on the concrete steps.

Moments later, Jasper pulled up in a shoddy old truck. Falco laughed and shook his head at the trashy piece of junk as Jasper hopped out. He shot Falco a look. "You got somethin' to say, funny boy?"

"How is it that _you_ do most of the work, and I can still afford a better ride?" Falco asked with a grin.

"Ah, shut up," Jasper said, "I spend my money on the necessities."

"And by necessities you mean drugs and booze?" Falco asked.

"Naturally," Jasper said, "Anyway, I hope you brought some cash, because I am not buying your drinks."

"So we're going to a bar, then?"

"Naturally," Jasper repeated in a cockier tone.

Falco smirked. "As long as we walk home."

Jasper's eyes narrowed, but he sighed. "Deal." Falco laughed.

"HEY!" Charlie called as he approached the two.

"Aw crap," Falco muttered. Jasper looked at him questioningly. "My neighbor," Falco explained. Jasper nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"H-hey," Charlie gasped, out of breath from running.

"Hey, Charlie," Falco greeted him, "Do you need anything?"

"I thought you were going to let me ride your motorcycle today," Charlie said.

"You're gunna let him ride that thing?" Jasper said, "You won't even let me near it!"

"That's because you destroy things for a living," Falco said, then turned to Charlie, "Maybe later, kid."

"Okay!" He said, "So where are you guys going?"

"Big boy places," Jasper stated.

"I'm a big boy! At least that's what my mommy says," Charlie said, "Can I come?"

Falco and Jasper were both trying to hold back their laughter. "Sorry," Falco said, "Not this time."

Charlie pouted.

"Ah, don't feel bad, kid," Jasper sneered, "Just turn your little self around and head back to your mommy."

"I'm not _that_ little!" Charlie protested.

"Alright, alright," Falco said, "Sorry, Charlie. But hey, we'll ride my bike when I get back."

"Promise?" Charlie asked.

"Sure," Falco said.

=_=_=_=_=_=

The two spent a few hours in a bar, and then walked to another when the bartender wouldn't let Jasper have anymore. Falco didn't drink much. He liked to be able to remember what had happened the next morning. They played pool, hit on girls, and had an overall good time. It was dark outside when they finally decided to head back.

"Ya know what?" Jasper said in a drunken slur, "You'ze is mah bessst friend."

Falco laughed. He was not as drunk as Jasper, but still decently wasted. "You should hear yourself. You sound even more like an idiot than you usually do."

"Haaaay I is smart!" Jasper retorted as he staggered a bit, "I graduated da tenth grade. I talkz good."

"You talk _well_," Falco corrected.

"Thank you!" Jasper said, "It'z nice ta be appreciated."

Falco pushed him lightly on the shoulder, but it still caused Jasper to stumble and fall over. Falco burst into laughter as Jasper cursed when he hit the pavement.

"Well, what's going on over here?"

Falco turned around to see Leon Powalski looking at the two with an evil grin on his face. Falco cursed to himself. He knew Leon would take advantage of them seeing their state. Jasper seemed to have no idea what was going on.

"Hey Falcz," he said as Falco helped him up, "What'z with scaley ovah here? Do ya know him err something?"

"We're old friends," Leon smirked, "And who might you be?"

"Jasper," Jasper said, "Jasper Monroe."

"Pleasure to meet you," Leon said, "I am Leon Powalski."

"We don't want trouble, Powalski," Falco said, "He may be buzzed but I can still kick your ass."

"Dat's not uh nice thing to say," Jasper said as he leaned his elbow on Falco's shoulder, "I mean I just met da guy."

"We should go," Falco said. He took Jasper's arm and they started to walk in the opposite direction in which Leon was standing.

"This isn't over, Lombardi!" Leon called.

"Nice meeting you'ze!" Jasper called back.

=_=_=_=_=_=

Since Jasper was obviously in a worse condition than he was, Falco decided to take Jasper back to his house, and then bring his truck back the next day.

"Damnit," Jasper said as they reached his door, "I forgot my key."

"Fantastic," Falco said, "Any other way to get inside?"

"Yeah, my sister will let us in," Jasper said. He started banging on the door. "KAAAAAAAATT!" He yelled, "KATT I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"

Moments later, a pink cat came out in a blue robe, with tousled hair and a menacing look on her face. "Isn't the older brother supposed to be the one looking out for his little sister? You've been out all day! And obviously you've been drinking. Why can't you do something with your life? You're a great fighter! You could join the Cornerian Defense Academy with me next month. But you'd rather spend your time taking money from helpless people who actually work for a living! I swear you're going to get yourself killed when I leave." Katt stopped her rant and finally noticed Falco. "Who is this?" She asked.

"A friend of mine," Jasper said, "Good God my head hurts. You're so _loud!_ I'll see you tomorrow, Falco." He pushed past Katt and into the small house. Katt continued to glare at Falco.

Falco, a little uncomfortable with the cat staring at him, resolved it would just be best to leave. He gave her a slight nod and turned around.

"Wait," she said. Falco turned back around. "Thanks for taking him home. I know he's an idiot sometimes- What am I talking about? He's an idiot all of the time. Anyway he would've wanted to drive home. So, thanks for being somewhat more responsible, even if you are just as much of a moron as he is."

"What makes you say that?" Falco asked, a small smile on his face.

"That stupid group you run around with," Katt said, her tone more serious, "You call yourselves a gang? There's five of you! You rob small stores. Ooh, so cool! There's just _so_ much success there. Do you realize that you could go to the Academy for _free_? Do you realize that you all could make something of your lives?"

Falco stared at her. "You talk an awful lot." He extended his hand. "Falco Lombardi."

She glared at him, and glanced down at his hand. "Thanks again." Then she shut the door.

Falco chuckled to himself, turned around, and headed home. There was just one more person he would have to deal with.

=_=_=_=_=_=

"Are you ready?" Falco asked as they sat on his motorcycle.

Charlie yawned, but nodded.

Falco twisted the throttle, and they were off.

Charlie was fully awake as soon as the bike zoomed down the road. He adjusted the helmet on his head. "Faster!" He cried.

Falco laughed. "There_ is_ a speed limit, you know."

After their ride, Falco brought Charlie back to his house, where his mom was waiting.

"What do we say?" Charlie's mom said as Falco pulled him off of the motorcycle.

"Thanks, Falco!" Charlie said.

"No problem, kid."

=_=_=_=_=_=


	4. Chapter 4

=_=_=_=_=_=_=

=_Chapter 3_=

For the next few weeks, Falco's life continued normally. He'd drive the group wherever they needed to go. He found it funny that he hadn't called it a _gang_ since Jasper's sister had pointed out that it was only five people. Recently, the boss had been attempting larger robberies. Sure, they weren't big; stepping up from convenience stores to supermarkets, but it was still enough for local police to take interest in them. At first, the threat was not big. Alex and Jasper joked around that "the fuzz" wouldn't be a match for them. The boss put them through hell for those comments. He was always paranoid. Sure enough, the police had noticed the pattern of the small robberies. The boss had ordered them all to lay low for a while, paid them a larger amount, and said he would contact them again when they were in the clear.

Falco used a portion of his earnings, and traded in his motorcycle for a miniature gunship. He kept it in a field on the outskirts of his little town. He flew it frequently, often with Jasper's sister. At first he had been confident that a girl would not be able to beat him in a race. However, Katt always ended up winning, and was always sure to rub it in his face. Jasper was not sure what to think of the two spending time together, but Falco assured him that his sister bugged the crap out of him, especially when she won. Besides, she would be leaving to attend the Academy in two weeks. Katt told him that he should come with her. He would fit right in with all of the other cocky students who just wanted some adventure, but the argument always ended with Katt saying something along the lines of "You say you want thrill, and yet you never do anything about it." Falco would merely state that his life was an oxymoron.

As for Charlie, his mother had been much more trusting of Falco, and even allowed him a ride or two in Falco's gunship. Although Falco sometimes admitted to himself that he liked the yorkie, he did wish that Charlie wouldn't look up to him so much. He told him outwardly once not to be like him, after which he just received a puzzled look from the puppy. Falco would just sigh and tell him to get home.

Leon Powalski was another matter. In the past, Leon had just wanted money from Falco. But lately, the two had been butting heads over other matters. Falco didn't know what it was, and he was sure Leon didn't either, but a new rivalry had formed between them. Almost every day would end in a fight. Normally it was just hand-to-hand combat, but the use of weapons began to evolve. Basically, just knives, but after losing profusely, Leon began mentioning his future use of guns. Falco took it as a hollow threat, and would just brush it off without any qualms.

And so the weeks passed by. Charlie becoming more annoying, no messages from the boss, and Katt's leave approaching. She was expected to leave in four days. Falco had challenged her to one last race. It was raining that particular afternoon, but not heavily enough that would affect their flying. Jasper even decided to tag along. He had rented an even smaller plane recently, complaining that "everyone has a damn flying machine, and if he didn't get one soon, he'd positively shit himself." Right before Falco was going to leave, Charlie ran up and started begging to come along. After many attempts at excuses, Falco gave in. It was just a race, after all.

Falco and Charlie line up next to Jasper and Katt.

"Ready to lose again?" Katt taunted over the comm. system.

"Not a chance!" Charlie answered for him, "Falco's going to win this time, right Falco?"

A bang was heard from Jasper's side followed by a curse and some muttering. "Damnit! This ceiling is too low."

Katt laughed. "Now I know you're going to get yourself killed while I'm gone."

"Does this thing even have windshield wipers?!" Jasper asked.

"It's the blue button underneath the fuel meter," Charlie said.

"You're just a little natural aren't you," Katt said.

Charlie blushed at the comment.

"Alright cut the chatter," Falco said, "Are you all ready to lose?"

He received a scoff from Katt, and another bang and curse from Jasper.

"Count it down, Charlie," Falco said.

"On your marks… get set…. GO!"

Falco quickly, but carefully, pushed forward on the joystick. In no time at all, he had accelerated further than his opponents.

"Damn you, Lombardi!" He heard Katt say, followed by yet another curse from Jasper.

"You've got this, Falco!" Charlie cheered, "There's no way they can catch up now!"

Sure enough, Falco won, and he was more than enthusiastic in his gloating.

"You talk an awful lot," Katt smirked.

"I think you both of you need to shut up," Jasper said in a more spiteful tone.

Falco and Katt laughed. Charlie interrupted them. "Hey Falco," he asked as he pointed to an incoming ship, "Who's that."

Falco's eyes narrowed. "Aw fuck."

"We end this now, Lombardi!" Leon shouted and began shooting a wave lasers.

"Holy shit!" Jasper yelled, "This is a rental! If he gets one scratch on this-" Jasper was cut off by a barrage of shots, causing his ship to plummet toward the ground.

"Jasper!" Katt shrieked in horror as she saw her own brother's ship go down and followed after him.

Leon laughed maniacally. "You're next, bird."

Falco screamed as he charged at Leon, lasers pouring out of his ship. Leon took a few hits, but pulled a loop behind Falco and started shooting again.

"Falco!" Charlie cried, "I want to get off!"

"Shit," Falco said, "Hang in there, kid." Falco took a sharp turn out of Leon's range and descended to where Katt and Jasper were. Once on the ground, he helped Charlie out. "Stay under my ship," he ordered and ran to help Katt.

Katt was trying to pull the hatch off of her brother's ship. Falco immediately began doing the same. They had it off in moments, and Falco was pulling Jasper's limp body from the cockpit.

He coughed a few times as Falco laid him on the ground. "Shit," he said in a barely audible voice, "Did that mother fucker really get me?"

Katt smiled a little through her tears. "You're such a moron."

"But I'm your brother," Jasper said, with a slight smile.

"And the biggest idiot in the world," Katt said, "But I love you."

"Katt," he said, "You know… I'm… proud of you… right? You're doing… something… with your life. Mom… and Dad… would be too…" Jasper's eyes were closing gently now.

Katt didn't know what to say. Instead, she held onto her brother and cried.

Falco wanted to say something comforting, but he had other problems. He turned back to where Charlie should have been taking cover.

He wasn't there.

_Shit,_ Falco thought as he looked about frantically.

"Over here, bird brain," Leon called, holding a gun to the puppy's head. Charlie had tears streaming down his face and terror in his eyes.

"Let him go you scum bag!" Falco screamed as he charged at Leon.

Leon just laughed. "I wouldn't come any closer if I were you."

Falco didn't listen.

There was a gunshot. The sound ripped through Falco's ears like a dagger. He stopped running and dropped to his knees, closing his eyes in the process. He knew what had happened, but he didn't want to see it.

=_=_=_=_=_=

"What the hell do you mean you're quitting?!"

Falco was having a total déjà vu. The hyena grabbed Falco by the jacket and shoved him against the wall. This time, however, Falco was not afraid to talk back.

"I'm enrolling in the Cornerian Defense Academy," Falco stated, keeping a calm expression.

"And why the hell would you do that?" Alex asked from where he was watching.

"I watched two people die," Falco said, "And I want to prevent that kind of thing from happening ever again. I'm not afraid to kill anyone to avoid that."

The boss let go of Falco's jacket. "Get out of my sight," he snarled, "If you ever come around these parts again, I'll make sure you never get to leave."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

=_=_End_=_=

=_Preface_=

Fox McCloud followed his map to the respective classroom. He stepped inside, took a quick survey of the surroundings, and chose a seat. Everyone seemed to already have someone to talk to; except a blue bird who was slouching in his seat, with his arms crossed. Fox turned to face him, and offered his hand.

"Fox McCloud," he said, "Son of James McCloud."

The bird look at his hand, then took it.

"Falco Lombardi," he said as they shook, "Son of whoever knocked up my mom."

=_=_=_=_=_=_=

Thanks for reading. Until next time. –Anonomys


	5. Chapter 5

Welcome to season 2!

=_=_=_=_=_=_=

=_Prologue_=

"You'll do great, son," James McCloud told Fox as he dropped him off at the Academy.

"Thanks, Dad," Fox said. To be honest, he was a little nervous.

"I'm proud of you," James said, "And you'll have Peppy there sometimes. When he's not with us, he comes in to teach a private course on flying and combat for 'advanced students.'"

"So you're pretty confident that I'm going to be one of them?" Fox laughed.

"You are my son, after all," James said, "Oh, and one more thing. Never-"

"-give up and trust your instincts," Fox finished for him, "I got it, Dad."

James laughed. "I'll be back from my mission in a few months. Good luck!"

And with that he drove off. Fox watched him leave before picking up his luggage and walked towards the building.

=_=_=_=

Fox McCloud followed his map to the respective classroom. He stepped inside, took a quick survey of the surroundings, and chose a seat. Everyone seemed to already have someone to talk to; except a blue bird who was slouching in his seat, with his arms crossed. Fox turned to face him, and offered his hand.

"Fox McCloud," he said, "Son of James McCloud."

The bird look at his hand, then took it.

"Falco Lombardi," he said as they shook, "Son of whoever knocked up my mom."

Fox laughed uneasily. They released their grip and Falco resumed his introverted position. Fox could tell he didn't want to have conversation. Instead, Fox turned his attention to the commotion that was going on outside of the classroom.

"Look, lady," a frog said, "I got into the school, I'm going into my class!"

"You're too young," the squirrel said, "Even if you graduate, you won't be able to enlist in the army."

"If I graduate?" The frog repeated, "I have already completed four terms at the Katina institute of Technology, and spent a semester in Fichina as an intern at the climate control center. So I figured I would try to learn to fly, and I applied to the Cornerian Defense Academy. And guess what? I got in! So now I would like to learn what I came here for, if you don't mind!" After that little speech, the frog sauntered into the room and took a seat next to Fox.

Fox cleared his throat. "Well, that was… impressive."

The frog seemed a little embarrassed. "You heard that?"

"Everyone heard that," Falco scoffed without looking up.

"I'm Fox," Fox said.

"Slippy," the frog said, "Slippy Toad."

=_=_=_=_=_=_=


	6. Chapter 6

=_=_=_=_=_=_=

=_Chapter 1_=

For the next few weeks, Fox walked with Slippy to his classes. The frog amused him very much, rambling on about technology and his experiences, and complaining about his last name.

"Slippy _Toad_," Slippy said, "I'm a _frog_."

Fox laughed. "Well at least your species is controversial. I'm a fox, and my name is Fox. It's completely unimaginative."

"But you could get your first name legally changed," Slippy said, "I am forever damned to have an inaccurate last name."

The two reached the classroom and took their seats. Fox looked over at Falco. The bird always seemed to have a troubled look, and he sat in the same position he was in when Fox had met him.

"Hey, Falco," Fox greeted him.

Falco nodded to acknowledge his presence, but still didn't move. Fox looked to Slippy, who shrugged.

Fox tried again. "So, Falco, why'd you join the Academy?"

This time, Falco completely turned his body. He looked Fox straight in the eye. "Have I done anything to make you think we're friends?" He asked.

"Just trying to be friendly," Fox said.

"Yeah, well, I didn't come here to make friends," Falco said, "I came here to get into the army."

"You know you just answered his question," Slippy pointed out. Falco glared at him, causing Slippy to shrink back into his seat.

"Sorry," Fox said, "Won't happen again."

Falco nodded and crossed his arms again.

After learning about some schematics about different kinds of planes, Fox headed to his next class. Slippy had a class on aerodynamics, but Fox was going to his class on combat.

=_=_=_=

Fox sat in the class with about thirty other students, one of them being Falco. Fox decided to keep his distance from the bird. He took a seat next to a cat with pink fur. She smiled at him as he sat down, and he returned the look.

The instructor, a bull dog, began the class. He talked about stances, keeping your footing, and how to block a basic punch.

"I would like two of you to come up and demonstrate," he said, and picked up a list of names. "Let' see here… how about… Mr. Lombardi?"

Falco stood up and came to the front of the classroom. The instructor called up another student, a muscular alligator. Falco, of course, was the one to make the first move.

"Oh he's so going to lose," the cat said.

"Who, the alligator or Falco?" Fox asked.

"You know Falco?" The cat asked him.

Fox scoffed, but laughed, "Said hi to him, apparently he doesn't like it when people do that."

The cat laughed. "Don't mind him," she said, "He's an ass, but he's got his reasons."

"I guess you know him then," Fox said.

"Yeah," she said, her gaze changing to the floor. She looked down for a moment, then turned her head back up. "I'm Katt, by the way."

"Fox."

The two watched the fight continue, although it became clear that Falco was going to win, which he eventually did.

"Very good," the instructor said, "Mr. Lombardi, you became careless for a while. Always stay on guard."

Falco nodded.

"He's not listening," Katt said, "You can tell. He likes doing things his way, and his way only."

Fox laughed. "You don't seem to like him that much."

Katt looked to the floor again. "It's a long story," she said, "He just brings back bad memories."

The alligator took his seat, and the instructor invited anyone else up. Falco looked eager for his next opponent. Fox raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr.…." the instructor looked at his sheet, "McCloud."

Fox walked up to the front of the class. Falco gave him an annoyed look. "Alright, you may begin." Fox and Falco both assumed defensive positions. Surprisingly, Fox made the first move this time. He swiped a fist at Falco, who quickly dodged. Falco grabbed Fox's wrist before Fox could retaliate, but before Falco could yank him back, Fox swiftly brought his knee up, hitting Falco right between the legs. Falco immediately let go and crumpled to the ground, clutching himself and inhaling sharply. Fox looked slightly amused.

"Dear God!" Falco managed to say, "Sweet baby Jesus!"

Fox extended a hand.

Falco glared up at him. "S-so you knee me in the nuts and then want to help me up?"

Fox laughed. "Are you gonna take it or what?"

Falco took a deep breath in. "Go. To. Hell."

"Alright, alright," the instructor finally cut in, "Mr. Lombardi, to the nurse. Mr. McCloud, that was highly inappropriate and unacceptable. Make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Of course," Fox said.

=_=_=_=

"Did you really have to kick him in the _balls_?!" Slippy asked as he and Fox walked to their rooms.

"Hey!" Fox said as he put his hands up, "I did not kick him, I _kneed_ him. If I had kicked him, his penis would have completely fallen off."

"You might want to be nice to the guy," Slippy said, "He's one of the best pilots in our class. You know that class your dad told you about? The one taught by Peppy Hare? I bet he's going to be one of the students chosen."

"Why would that matter to me?" Fox asked.

"Because I will bet you anything that you'll be one of the students chosen, too."

"Flying isn't one of my strengths," Fox said.

"Yeah, but other than your little stunt today, you obviously excel in combat," Slippy said.

"How about you?" Fox asked, "I'm sure no one can rewire a G-diffuser system like you can."

Slippy scoffed. "Damn right! But I'm not one to get cocky."

"That's my job," someone said. The two turned around to see Falco leaning against his doorframe. "You should be quiet while walking through this hallway. People are trying to sleep."

"S-sorry," Slippy stammered.

"How are you feeling?" Fox asked, a small smile creeping across his face.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Falco said, "But I would appreciate it if from now on you would keep your joints out of other people's crotches."

"Oh lighten up," Katt said, who had suddenly appeared behind Slippy. "How ya doin' Foxie?" She asked Fox.

"Better than others," Fox said.

"What is this, a party?" Falco asked, "I was trying to sleep."

"You know, Falco," Katt said, "I was just coming to ask how you were doing."

"Well, my balls are just fine," Falco said.

Katt's face became more serious. She crossed her arms. "I wasn't talking about that."

Falco stared right into her eyes. "I should be asking you the same thing."

Fox noticed that he and Slippy shouldn't be standing there at that particular moment. Silently, he shuffled Slippy away from the two, and they headed towards their rooms.

=_=_=_=_=_=_=

A/N: Is it even possible that bird's have penises? Wow, that is a completely awkward and uncomfortable thought. Anyway, thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 2_=

"Katt, I'm fine," Falco said, "You shouldn't worry about me. If anything, I should be the one asking if you're okay."

"Well you don't seem okay," Katt said.

"I came to the Academy, didn't I?" Falco asked, "Isn't that what you were bugging us to do?" Katt didn't say anything. Falco caught himself. "I said _us,_ didn't I?"

Katt nodded. "It's okay," she said in a quieter voice, "I just wish…"

"I do too," Falco said, finishing for her after she trailed off.

"Look, I'm really happy you're here," Katt said, "Just lighten up a little bit. Make some new friends, okay?"

Falco laughed a little. "Sorry." He said, "Don't worry about me, okay?"

"Okay," Katt said, "And do you realize we've said 'okay' like, six times?"

=_=_=_=

(A/N: So that little tidbit up there was a little more of the last chapter. This next part takes place a few months later, just so you're not lost.)

"FOX!" Slippy yelled in his high-pitched voice, "FOX FOX FOX FOX FOX!!!"

"What?" Fox asked as he ran out of the room.

"Y-you'll… never… guess…" Slippy wheezed. He had obviously run the whole way. Fox waited to catch his breath. "OKAY!" Slippy shouted once he was ready, "THE LIST IS UP!"

"What list?" Fox asked, a little annoyed.

"The list about the extra classes!" Slippy said, still yelling, "And guess who's in Peppy Hare's class!"

=_=_=_=

_________________

_Advanced_

_Falco Lombardi_

_Fox McCloud_

_Slippy Toad_

__________________

"Wow, Slippy," Fox said after looking over the names, "You were right."

"I amaze myself with my psychic abilities sometimes," Slippy said.

"What am I thinking of right now?" Fox asked.

"How incredibly awesome I am," Slippy replied.

"Actually I was thinking about how pissed that bird's going to be when he finds out that he's stuck with the two of us."

"Well maybe he'd feel better about it if you had been nicer to him."

"I was being nice! The only time I wasn't nice was when I kneed his privates," Fox said, "It wasn't a pleasant experience for me either, so I would appreciate it if you would quit bringing it up."

"I didn't bring it up that time," Slippy said, "You obviously loved it."

"I'm not having this conversation," Fox said.

=_=_=_=

Fox and Slippy looked up at the blackboard. Written in big, sloppy letters was _Mr. Hare, _sort of like what a substitute teacher does. The two exchanged looks; as if neither of them knew how to spell his name.

"Alright," Peppy said, "Do either of you know where that Lombardi kid is?"

"I figured he would be late," Slippy said.

"Oh, Fox," Peppy said, "Before I forget. Your dad says hi."

"That's it?" Fox asked, "I had expected some sentimental crap."

"We've been busy lately," Peppy said, "There have been lots of rebellions from Venom lately. Nothing too big, but they have been increasing."

"Do you think it could lead to anything?" Slippy asked.

"Probably not," Peppy said, "They're just annoying."

Finally, Falco burst through the door. Having entered in a more dramatic way than he had intended, he quietly walked into the room and slid into his desk.

Peppy cleared his throat. "Yes, well, shall we begin?" Fox, Falco, and Slippy each pulled out a notebook. "What are you doing?"

"We're… um… getting ready to take notes," Fox said.

Peppy looked amused. "It's not that type of class, Fox."

=_=_=

It was an air combat class. It was not like their usual flight classes, which consisted of mainly simulations. This was as close to the real thing as they could get.

"Alright, boys," Peppy said, "Now remember, these have a lot more acceleration and force than the simulation. Check your systems."

"Looks good, Mr. Hare," Slippy said.

"I'm set, too," Fox said.

"Everything looks fine," Falco said.

"Good," Peppy said, "Because here come the machines."

"The what?" Slippy asked.

"What, did you think we were going on a joy ride?" Peppy said, "Get ready!"

The robots were basically small aircrafts that resembled less complex Arwings. At the moment, there were about seven of them in a V-formation and prepared to attack.

"What should you do first?" Peppy asked.

"Get the shields up," Falco said as he pushed the shield button. Fox and Slippy did the same.

"That's right, Falco," Peppy said, "Good job. Next?"

"We need a formation," Fox said.

"But to do that," Falco said, "We'd need someone at the head."

"Well you seem to know what you're doing, Falco," Peppy said, "Why don't you take charge this time."

Falco thought for a moment. "Okay," he said, "I want you all in a diamond formation. I'll go up front, Fox go to my right, and Slippy to my left. Peppy, you take the rear."

"Yes, sir," Peppy said.

"What's the plan?" Fox asked.

"Fox and Slippy, take out each of the ends. Peppy and I will handle the front three," Falco replied.

"You got it," Slippy said and proceeded with his task.

Fox, however, was hesitant. He pushed his Arwing forward and readied his finger on the trigger.

"Fox, what are you doing?" Peppy asked, "Just shoot!"

Fox squeezed his eyes shut and pressed down. His ship vibrated as the blasts shot out. He released his finger after what seemed an eternity. He opened his eyes to see that the robots were still there. He had barely scratched them.

"Fox, you have to aim first!" Slippy said.

The robots were now advancing towards him. Fox jerked his Arwing to the right, performing a barrel roll out of formation.

"Damnit, McCloud!" Falco shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Falco turned his Arwing around in one swift motion and easily destroyed the two robots.

"Let's head back to the classroom," Peppy said, "I've had enough for today."

=_=_=_=

"That was a very successful class," Peppy announced once they were all back in the room.

"I didn't feel like I did anything," Fox said.

"That's because you didn't!" Falco said.

"Alright, Falco," Peppy said, "I want you all to realize that simulations are completely different. Pulling the trigger in a game is easier than actually doing it."

"I should have been able to," Fox protested, "They were just robots!"

"But one day they won't be," Peppy said, "And one day there going to do more than just damage your ship. They're going to be real people, wanting to cause you real harm. As a team, you need to help each other, as well as the planet."

"Team?" Slippy repeated.

"That's right, boys," Peppy smiled, "You're a team now."

_=_=_=_=_=_


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Wow this is moving really slowly. I know what's going to happen, but now it's just a matter of getting there. Sigh. Anyway, on with the chapter.

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 3_=

Ah, lunchtime. Even the most isolated people need someone to sit with, right? Falco sighed as he scanned the cafeteria. He noticed Katt had decided to sit with Fox and Slippy. _Of course,_ he thought. He approached the table. "Mind if I sit here?" He asked.

"We're teammates," Slippy said cheerfully.

Falco gave him an annoyed look as he sat down. Katt smiled at him, pleased that he was finally starting to lighten up. "So Falco," she said, "I was just telling these guys how I always used to beat you in those races."

Slippy and Fox both snickered. "I beat you the last time," Falco said.

"Not by much," Katt said, "Besides, that would make the score one to… I don't know, twelve?"

"Seven," Falco corrected, "But who's counting."

"If this army thing doesn't work out, I want to join a grand prix," Fox said.

"Why wouldn't the army thing work out?" Katt asked.

"Fox, you're still not worrying about that class, are you?" Slippy asked, "Peppy said that it would happen. In fact, he said that's what the whole class was based on."

"But you two seemed to be able to do it," Fox said, "I mean, he put Falco in charge right away, and Slippy, you seemed to know exactly what to do."

"Psh. You worry too much," Katt said, "You'll get the hang of it."

"It's not just that," Fox said, "I don't even know if I want to join the army. I mean, ever since I was little, all my dad ever talked about was me going to the Academy. And now that I'm here, I'm not really sure I want to be."

Falco stood up. "Well this is getting a little too sentimental for my liking," he announced, "If you don't mind, I'm going to the bathroom to gag up all of the little butterflies in my stomach."

"You could be more sensitive," Katt said.

Falco sat back down. "Look," he said, "If you don't want to be here, then just leave."

Fox smirked. "Do you know who my dad is?"

"Should I?" Falco asked.

"James McCloud," Slippy answered for Fox, "Head of team Star Fox. You know Peppy Hare? The guy who is teaching us that class? Well he's on that team."

"Impressive," Falco said in a blasé manner, "Maybe I should get to his class on time."

Katt scoffed. "If I was in that class, I would get there _early_."

"You could take my place," Fox laughed.

Katt smiled. "Don't worry about it, Foxie. You'll be fine."

=_=_=_=

The next few weeks dragged by. Peppy had not come back to teach another class yet. Fox started to worry less about flight classes. He had proved himself that he was army-material in his combat classes.

Falco continued to focus intently on his training. He was determined to get good grades in all of his classes. He often wondered about everyone back home. Whether his boss had started up jobs again, how the gang was doing without him and Jasper, or if Ralph had gotten some guts.

Slippy was thriving. He aced every test, and performed well in every class. Even though flying wasn't his best subject, he still pulled through with excellent marks. Peppy's classes were becoming less frequent. Apparently the rebellions were becoming even more serious, and talk of war was floating around.

Katt Monroe was not doing as well as everyone else. She did well in flying and combat, but struggled in schematics and aerodynamics. Slippy tried tutoring, but it usually ended in arguments and chucking textbooks at each other's heads. Katt stated that she could always hire someone else to rewire her circuits and repair her G-diffuser.

=_=_=_=

Graduation was coming soon. In was only about a month away. Most people already knew what they were going to do. Falco wanted to join the army, obviously. Fox was going to talk to his dad about his own team. Katt was thinking about becoming a freelance pilot. Slippy was going to head to Aquas to spend a year in an underwater biome studying plants and such.

Everyone had a plan. Everyone expected things to continue normally. And everything was… until 1:23 AM.

Fox was sleeping. He heard a quiet knocking on his door. He groaned. "Who's there?"

"Mr. McCloud, please come to the main office. Mr. Peppy Hare is here to see you," the voice answered.

Confused and half-asleep, Fox rolled out of bed. He didn't even bother to get dressed. He figured pajamas were acceptable at this time.

=_=_=_=

Peppy sat in a chair nervously tapping his foot and drumming his fingers on the arm rest. How was he going to say this? He supposed he knew something about being comforting. He has a daughter, after all. Should he just be blunt? He didn't want to beat around the bush.

Fox entered the room with a groggy look on his face. "What's going on, Peppy?" He asked. Peppy sighed and got up. He walked up to Fox and put both hands on his shoulders.

"Something went horribly wrong," he said, "Pigma betrayed us. He warned Andross's army of our plan, and then joined their side. We were outnumbered, Fox. There was nothing we could do."

Fox was awake now. "Well what happened? Is everything okay?"

"I'm afraid not, Fox," Peppy said, "I'm so sorry."

"M-my dad," Fox said, "He made it out with you, didn't he?"

"I'm so sorry," Peppy said again.

Fox sat down, dazed. This wasn't happening. His father was James McCloud. He just _didn't_ die. Fox wanted to cry. He really wanted to. But for some reason, he couldn't. Maybe it was that this didn't feel real, or that he didn't want to cry in front of other people, but whatever it was, he couldn't bring himself to it. "I'm going back to bed now," Fox said, "Goodnight." And with that he slowly got up and proceeded back to his room.

=_=_=_=

"Fox, come on, talk to us," Slippy pleaded. It had been a few days since Fox had learned that his father had died.

"I told you, I'm fine," Fox said, "I haven't even cried."

"If you're fine then you can stay in school," Katt said.

"I just don't see the reason," Fox said, "I'm going to become a racer. The only reason I was here was for him."

"You would be great in the army," Slippy said.

"I've made up my mind," Fox said, "Thanks for caring, though."

Katt looked to Falco, hoping he would say something. But Falco sat in his seat with his arms crossed; he didn't look like he particularly cared much.

=_=_=_=

Later that night, Fox was going through his belongings, making sure everything was organized before he started packing. A knock on the door made him jump. "Who's there?" He called. He almost expected the same voice as the other night, telling him to meet Peppy in the office.

"Open the damn door, McCloud." This was definitely not that voice. Fox got up and opened the door. Before he knew it, Falco had grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him up against the wall.

"F-Falco, what the hell are you doing?" Fox asked.

"You're a coward, Fox McCloud," Falco said, "One little death and you run away from everything you've worked for. Maybe you _don't _belong in the army. Maybe your dad shouldn't have pushed you into this after all. If you can't handle death, then you can't handle anything."

"Falco, calm down," Fox's voice sounded shaken, which he was, "What are you talking about?"

Falco gripped Fox's shirt tighter then threw him onto the ground. "You want to know why I came here, huh Foxie? You want to know why I take this stuff so seriously? I watched Katt's brother explode. I saw a little kid get shot in the head. Then you find out your dad died, and suddenly you can't stand on your own two feet. Life's just too _hard_ right?"

"He was my dad, Falco!" Fox said. He was also angry now.

"I don't have a dad, either! You don't see me throwing my life away over it! And Katt? She doesn't have parents, and now she doesn't have a brother. She's still going to graduate. You think you're so special? You think you're just so fucking special? You're not the only person in the world who has ever lost someone. People die. Every. Day. Get over it, McCloud."

Fox lunged himself at Falco. Falco merely stepped to the side and Fox hit the wall. Falco grabbed hold of the back of his shirt and pushed him up against the wall again.

"Get a fucking hold of yourself," Falco said, "I'm joining the army so I can _stop_ people from dying. Sure, you have to kill people to get it that way, but peace doesn't come cheap."

"Are you done now?" Fox managed to say with his face pressed against the wall.

Falco let go of Fox and took a step back. "Ungrateful son of a bitch," he said, "Do whatever you want. I don't give a shit. Go waste your fucking life racing. But do yourself a favor, and at least graduate. I couldn't care less what you do after that, but at least graduate this fucking school. For your dad." Falco left the room without waiting for a reply.

Fox stood dumbstruck as he watched Falco walk out. Then he dropped to his knees, and he cried.

=_=_=_=_=_=_=


	9. Chapter 9

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 4_=

"What the hell did you do?" Katt nearly screamed. She would be screaming, too, if they weren't in the hallway.

"I told him how I felt," Falco said, "Did you want me to just sit back and pretend he wasn't throwing his life away?"

"That's what it looked like you were going to do," Katt said.

"Well why should he get sympathy? Katt, we've seen worse stuff than that. We're still here. Obviously treating him like a little kid isn't going to make him graduate. Why should anyone treat him so fucking differently just because someone dies?"

"God, Falco, you can be such an asshole sometimes!" Katt was yelling now, "What would you say to me if I decided not to go to the Academy because Jasper died? I could have quit right then! Would you have told me to get a fucking hold of myself? Would you have tried to make me feel even worse?"

"It's not like that-"

"Yeah, it is," Katt said, "You know what it's like to lose someone. Hell, everyone knows what it's like."

"Katt, come on-"

Katt cut him off again. "You couldn't just be a friend. Just once. You couldn't put your damn pride away for just this time."

"You think this is about my pride?" Falco asked, "You think I seriously care what anyone thinks about me? I didn't come here to make friends. I didn't _want_ any friends! I don't even care what Fox McCloud does with his fucking life. I just want to know what makes him so special! It's like the world has to stop as soon as he's upset!"

"You don't want friends, huh?" Katt said, "Well congratulations. I hope you have fun in the army. See if I care when you're shot down." Then she walked into her room leaving Falco standing alone in the hallway.

"Damnit," he said and hit the wall with his fist. He then proceeded towards Fox's dorm, ignoring the few people who had seen the argument.

Once he reached the door, he pounded on it. "Let me in, Fox."

The door opened. Fox glared at him. "What do you want, Falco?"

"No need to be so angsty," Falco said.

"Are you here to apologize?" Fox asked.

Falco scoffed. "For what? Giving a shit about you? For actually caring whether or not you graduate? Well then I'm sorry. I'll make sure it never happens again."

"It won't," Fox said.

"Because you're not graduating," Falco replied.

"No, I am graduating," Fox stated.

"Who changed your mind?"

"My dad." Fox said and slammed his door.

"What was that about?" Slippy said, who had walked down the hallway in time to catch the last part of the conversation.

"He's a waste of talent," Falco said.

"Talent won't get you anywhere," Slippy said, "You have to be able to perform."

"Nice metaphor," Falco smirked.

"Thanks!" Slippy smiled, "And you know, Falco, it's nice to know you care, even if you have a funny way of showing it."

Falco laughed. "I just did what I would want someone to do for me."

"I'm glad we're teammates," Slippy said.

"Me too, Slip," Falco said, "Me too."

=_=_=_=

Venom had a new leader: Dr. Andross. The war had begun right after James McCloud's death. The army did what they could along with help from special squadrons. But unfortunately, there was no more Star Fox. That was the current thought in General Pepper's mind.

"I can't do anything, General," Peppy told him. He was in the General's office, discussing the topic of starting a new team. "We lost two of three members. I don't have anyone else!"

"There has to be someone!" General Pepper said as he pounded his fists on the table, "We need Star Fox."

"Star Fox is dead!" Peppy shouted, "I don't even own the Great Fox."

"What happened to it?" the General asked.

"James had a will," Peppy said, "He gave it to his son."

"What is his son doing with it?"

"Nobody's told him yet."

General Pepper hit the table again. "Why the hell not? This is a fucking war! The Lylat System needs heroes. The people need Star Fox."

Peppy glared at him. "What do you want me to do?"

=_=_=_=

Fox was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. Just lying there, thinking. Mostly about his dad, but that was a given. Also about the things Falco had said. Was he a coward? Running away from things? You could probably call it that, but Fox thought of it as giving up. He didn't want to join the army, but Falco was right. The least he could do was graduate. There was a timid knock on his door.

"Fox, it's Katt. Please open up."

Fox got up and opened his door. "Yeah?"

She stayed quiet for a minute, but let out an exasperated sigh and walked in.

"Please, come in," he said after she had already flopped onto his bed.

"Fox, I feel terrible," she said. He motioned for her to go on. "First things first," she said, "You're graduating?"

Fox sighed and sat down next to her. "Yes," he said, "I'm not joining the army or anything, but I am going to graduate. Now why do you feel-"

Katt groaned loudly and held a pillow over her face. "I am such a bitch!"

Fox laughed a little and took the pillow from her. "Care to explain?"

Katt sat up. "'Kay, so I heard what Falco did and I totally flipped out on him."

"You couldn't have been that bad," Fox said.

"I told him I wouldn't care if he died! I am the absolute worst person in the entire Lylat System!"

"Katt," Fox said, "I'm sure he'll forgive you after some groveling and lots of compliments."

"You don't understand! I actually _wanted_ him to die! How could I even _think_ something like that, let alone _say_ it!" Katt put the pillow over her face again and started sobbing. "I don't know what I would do if he died!"

Fox put a hand on her shoulder. "He's not dying, Katt."

Katt continued to sob. "But now he's going to join the army and he probably will! And he'll just remember me as that crazy bitch that screamed at him in the hallway. I was just mad about what he said to you."

"It really wasn't a big deal," Fox said, "You know, he was just trying to help. If it weren't for him…"

Katt removed the pillow. "What?"

"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here right now." Fox was surprised at himself. A few minutes ago, he hated that bird. Falco had thrown him around this very room the day after his father's death. Falco had told him to get over the thing that Fox couldn't even stop thinking about. Falco had treated him like crap… because he cared. "Falco Lombardi is an asshole, but he means well."

Katt smiled a little and sniffed. "Thanks, Fox."

Slippy burst through the door, panting heavily like he had sprinted to the room. "There's a thing called knocking, Slippy," Fox said.

"F-Falco…" He wheezed.

"What?" Katt asked.

Slippy took a deep breath. "PeppycamealittlewhileagoandhetoldFalcoheneededhimandsoFalcoleftwithhimandIdon'tknowwheretheywentbutI'mprettysureithastodowithArwings."

"Huh?" Fox asked.

"THE NEWS!" Slippy suddenly shouted and dove for the remote. He flipped on the television to a news station. General Pepper stood at a podium in front of many cameras and news reporters.

"The loss of Star Fox was a big one," he said, "Luckily, Peppy Hare has brought in one of his top students. They are going to help anyway that they can."

"Oh my God!" Katt shrieked, "There they are!" She pointed to the screen. Falco and Peppy stood in the back of the room. Peppy seemed to be briefing Falco on what was happening. "He's going to get himself killed!"

"We're going," Fox said.

"Huh?" Slippy and Katt both asked together.

"We're going to help," Fox said, "We're teammates, right?"

=_=_=_=

"You know what to do?" Peppy asked.

"Yeah yeah," Falco said, "Shoot them before they shoot me. I got it."

Their Arwings left the hangar and flew out into space.

=_=_=_=

The three of them ran down the hallway.

"Where are we going anyway?" Slippy asked, "None of us have Arwings!"

"Fox McCloud?" A voice called.

"Ah, crap," Katt said, "We're busted."

The secretary from the main office approached them. "I was just heading to your room. You have a letter." She handed the envelope to Fox and returned to her office.

Fox opened the envelope and began reading.

_Fox,_

_If you're reading this, it means I'm no longer with you. I want you to know that I love you, and I'm proud of you, no matter what you choose to do with your life. I've left very specific directions in my will. I want you to go to that empty field near our house. There's something there I want you to have._

_-Dad_

_P.S. Never give up, trust your instincts._

"What is it?" Katt asked.

"We have to go," Fox said.

"What about Falco?" Slippy asked.

"If I'm right, Falco will have plenty of help," Fox said.

=_=_=_=

Falco had been doing very well, but the enemies were increasing and he couldn't fight them all. Even with a lot of backup from the army, they were really outnumbered.

"Peppy, what do we do?" Falco asked over the radio.

"DO A BARREL ROLL!" Peppy yelled.

=_=_=_=

"Oh. My. God." Katt breathed in awe.

Fox smiled triumphantly up at the Great Fox. "Shall we?"

"YES!" Slippy yelled and ran inside. Fox started after him, but Katt was hesitant.

"Are you coming?" Fox asked.

"I can't do this, Fox," Katt said, "I don't want to see him die, too."

"He's not going to die, Katt," Fox sighed.

"But what if he's already dead? What if we're too late?" Katt said, tears returning to her eyes.

"We're going to be too late if we keep talking," Fox said, "Do you want to help him?"

"I can't!" Katt said, "I can't do this! Even if he's okay, I don't want to watch any more ships go down in flames. I lost my brother. I can't lose him, too. I'm not… I'm not s-strong enough."

"GUYS!" Slippy called from the door, "We should _really_ go now!"

"Just go," Katt said, "Please. Just make sure he's okay."

Fox nodded and ran into the ship.

=_=_=_=

"Damnit, Peppy!" Falco shouted, "I'm doing as many barrel rolls as I can! I have enemies behind me!"

"Then do a fucking loop!" Peppy shouted back, "Keep yourself together, Lombardi! Shoot the bastards!"

Falco pulled back on his ship and performed a full loop then shot the enemies, watching them crash to the ground. "Damn right!" He said.

"Pay attention!" Peppy yelled.

Falco looked up in time to see a red circle with a large "B" printed on it flying straight for his ship.

=_=_=_=

Slippy was setting up the coordinates. Fox was walking around his dad's ship. Something in particular caught his eye. He was staring into two empty lights. _They look like eyes,_ he thought. "Hey Slippy, are the coordinates ready?" He asked.

"Um…" Slippy hit a few more buttons, "Yep! All set."

"Put it on Autopilot. Come take a look at this," Fox said. Slippy got up and walked over to what Fox was looking at.

"What is it?" Slippy asked.

"It looks like a…" Fox extended a finger and poked it. The two lights turned on. "A robot," Fox finished.

"Awaiting orders," the robot said, "Welcome back, Captain McCloud."

"It talks!" Slippy said, "Give it orders! You're the captain."

Fox shook his head. "My dad was the captain."

"Captain Fox McCloud," the robot said, "I am ROB."

"Captain Fox McCloud?" Slippy asked.

"Affirmative," ROB said.

Fox crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow. "Alright, ROB, contact Peppy Hare."

"Connecting to Arwing number 826," Rob said.

"Is he doing it?" Fox asked. The robot wasn't even moving.

"It's probably a wireless comm. unit," Slippy explained.

"Link successful," ROB said, "Accessing radio."

Peppy's face appeared on the screen behind them. Fox and Slippy both turned around. "Fox! Slippy! What in Lylat are you doing?"

"We'll ask the questions here," Fox said, "How do you get away with extracting a student from his studies a week before graduation?"

"If you didn't notice," Peppy said, "General Pepper gave us permission. And you are unauthorized to be here. This is a warzone."

"You have one of our teammates," Fox said, "I have every right to be here."

"This is not a place for kids, Fox," Peppy said.

"Then Falco shouldn't be there!" Slippy said. Fox gave him a look as if to say _I'll handle this._

The Great Fox finished it's warp and entered the area.

"Fox!" Peppy yelled, "Where did you get that?"

"It belongs to me," Fox said, "I am Captain Fox McCloud. This fight ends now." Fox flipped off the communicator.

Slippy snickered. "I am Captain Fox McCloud," he mocked.

Fox laughed. "Shut up. Let's shoot these guys." He turned to ROB. "Do we have any Arwings?"

"Affirmative," ROB said, "They have been prepared for you and are waiting in the hangar."

"Your dad thought of everything," Slippy said.

=_=_=_=

Fox and Slippy's Arwings flew out of the hangar and into the fight. "Alright, Slip," Fox said, "You help Peppy. I'm going to find Falco."

"That may be a problem," Peppy's voice came on the radio, "I lost all communication with his Arwing a few minutes before he arrived."

"WHAT?!" Slippy gasped.

"There was an explosion," Peppy said, "His ship went down."

"And no one thought to go after him?" Fox asked.

"This is a dogfight, Fox!" Peppy shouted, "We don't have time!"

"Tell me where it went," Fox said.

"But Fox-"

"God damnit, Peppy!" Fox yelled, "Tell me where his fucking ship went down or I swear I will blow you out of the sky right now!"

"Look at your radar," Peppy said, "His Arwing is the blue one."

"Slippy, keep shooting," Fox said, "I'm going down."

=_=_=_=

Falco managed to pull himself from his Arwing. The left wing was blown right off, and the nose was smashed in. He gripped his arm and coughed up some blood and engine exhaust. He looked up at the sky. He couldn't even tell which ships were on his side, but none of them seemed to be coming down to help.

"HELLO!" Falco called, knowing no one would hear him, "Is this what it means to be in the army? Every man for himself? No one even tries to help your comrades?"

"I thought you didn't want any friends." Falco turned around to see Fox jump out of his Arwing.

"Wh-what are you-" Falco started to say, but it turned into a fit of coughing. Fox ran to help him. He hung Falco's arm around his shoulder and helped him to his Arwing.

"You're in real bad shape," he said, "You shouldn't have gotten yourself into this."

"I didn't ask," Falco said between coughs, "Just get me the hell outta here."

"So you joined the army, huh, Lombardi?" Fox felt Falco freeze at the raspy voice. Falco spun around.

"Leon Powalski," Falco said. Fox couldn't tell if he was angry or afraid… or both. "What are you doing here?"

"Some greeting," Leon scoffed, "It's been almost a year! You're not one to hold a grudge."

"Try two grudges," Falco said, then he repeated, "What are you doing here?"

"I joined a small bounty hunting team. There's so much more money in that than mugging people," Leon said, "Maybe you've heard of them? Does the name Star Wolf ring a bell?"

"What?" Fox gasped, "Star Wolf?"

"I take it you know them," Leon said, "It's nice to be recognized."

Falco removed his arm from Fox's shoulder and approached Leon. "Go back to your team before I rip your God damn arms off."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Leon asked, "You know, they died because of you. I had told you I was planning on using guns, but you just couldn't take me seriously."

Falco grabbed Leon's shirt. "You're a sick bastard," Falco said, "They didn't do anything to you."

Leon smiled. "You will release me," he said, "Or I'll make you suffer far worse than they did." He pulled a knife from a holster and held it to Falco's stomach.

Just then, Fox rammed into Leon's side. The knife fell to the ground in front of Falco, and he picked it up. Fox held Leon's arms behind pinned his back.

Falco twisted the knife between his fingers playfully. "You know, Leon," he said, "I want to kill you. There's nothing I would enjoy more than just slitting your throat right now." He tossed the knife to the ground. "Let him go, Foxie. I want to get out of here."

Fox released Leon and helped Falco walk to his Arwing.

"This isn't over, Lombardi!" Leon yelled.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," Falco called back.

=_=_=_=

Falco sat with his arms crossed, even though one of them still hurt pretty badly. Fox was flying low to the ground to try and avoid any enemies. He wanted to get Falco back to the Great Fox. Falco was still coughing occasionally, although he was no longer coughing up blood.

"Hey ROB," Fox said into the radio, "Open the hangar doors."

"Request confirmed," ROB said, "Ready for docking."

"There better be an Arwing in there for me," Falco said.

"Are you kidding?" Fox asked, "You're going straight to the medical room."

Falco coughed. "And let you have all the fun? Not a chance."

"Looks like you've had all the fun you can handle," Fox said.

"Listen to me, Fox," Falco said, "There is no way I'm going to sit in that ship and watch a fight. I'm coming out there with all of you."

Fox sighed. "ROB, prepare another Arwing."

=_=_=_=

"You shouldn't be here, Slippy," Peppy said as he shot at some of the enemies.

"Falco shouldn't be here," Slippy replied, pulling his ship into a loop.

"I had no other choice," Peppy said, "The general needed us."

"The general has an entire army," Slippy said, "Two people aren't going to make a difference."

"Three people used to make a difference," Peppy said.

Slippy sighed exasperatedly. "Star Fox is over, Peppy!"

"What kind of talk is that?" Fox asked.

"Fox! Falco!" Slippy cheered, "You're alive!"

"You all should go," Peppy said, "I shouldn't have brought you here in the first place."

"Don't worry about it, Pep," Falco said, "I had fun, but I don't think army life is for me."

Fox smiled. "I have a better idea."

_=_=_=_=_=_

A/N: And thus, Star Fox is born!

Season three: The Revenge of the Unlikely

=_Preface_=

"Falco."

"Krystal."

The two stared each other down for a while.

"Listen," Krystal said, "I don't like you. I think you're arrogant and a pain."

"And I think you're annoying and you don't have what it takes to be a member of Star Fox," Falco replied.

"If you feel so strongly about this team then why did you leave in the first place?"

"Nothing you would understand," Falco said, "I had some things to take care of."

"I wouldn't understand?" Krystal asked, "While you flying around the system, we were saving Sauria."

"I don't care what you were doing," Falco said, "There was just something I had to do."

Krystal stared at Falco. Falco felt his eye twitch.

"Get out of my mind, Krystal," Falco said.

Krystal looked away with a smug smile on her face. "Did you at least find her?"

Falco glared at her for a moment before looking at the floor. "Stay out of my head." He got up and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

_=_=_=_=_=_


	10. Chapter 10

Season Three: Revenge of the Unlikely

Time setting: Post-Adventures; Pre-Assault

A/N: Here we go, with the actually plot line! I'm pretty sure this will be the last season. Not sure yet. Hopefully it will be longer than the other seasons. Oh hey, and guess what? No prologue this time! That preface in the last one was kind of what happened… Okay, here we go.

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 1_=

Slippy sat in front of the television, drumming his fingers on the armrest. He was bored. Fox walked into the room and made himself comfortable on the couch.

"Hey, Slip," he said.

"Fox," Slippy acknowledged his presence without really looking up from the screen.

Fox sighed in a dramatic manner to let Slippy now his current attitude. Slippy answered with a yawn. Then there was silence, aside from the droning television. "Where's Falco?" Fox asked after a while, "Want to see if we can fly around a bit?"

"I'm kinda tired," Slippy said, slouching into the chair, "I'm pretty sure he's in his room."

Fox collected the little energy he still had and pulled himself up from the couch. Then he proceeded towards Falco's room. He ran into Krystal on the way there.

"Hello, Fox," she greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, Krystal," he said, "I was just going to ask Falco if we wanted to take the Arwings out. Do you want to come?"

"Of course!" Krystal said gleefully, "But I doubt he'll want to. I just finished talking to him. He seems to be in a bad mood."

Fox frowned. "He's been in a bad mood a lot lately."

Krystal hung her arms around Fox's shoulders. "I'm sure it's nothing," she said, "He's just being a drama queen."

Fox removed her arms. "I'll go talk to him." Then he walked to Falco's door, leaving Krystal glaring at him. She quickly shrugged it off and walked in the opposite direction.

Fox knocked on the door. "Hey, Falco," he called, "Open up."

"It's unlocked," Falco called from the other side.

Fox entered the room. Falco was lying on his bed with the TV on. His head was being propped up by one arm. The other hand held the television remote. "Get off your butt," Fox said, "I want to go do something. Why don't we race our Arwings?"

Falco shrugged. "Don't feel much like flying, I guess."

"Did those words seriously just come out of your mouth?"

Falco laughed a little. "I've been flying a lot lately," he said, "I just want to stay on the ground for a while."

"Come on," Fox pleaded, "I'm really freakin' bored."

"Why don't you see what your girlfriend's up to?"

Fox rubbed the back of his neck. "She… She's not my girlfriend."

"Yet," Falco smirked.

"Look," Fox said, "I haven't flown with you in what seems like forever! Not since after the war with Andross. Come on, it'll be fun."

"I'm pretty sure if I take one step inside an Arwing, I will throw up," Falco said, "I'm sure Krystal or Slippy will go flying with you. Hell, ask Peppy. He probably hasn't been in an Arwing for almost a year."

"It hasn't been that long," Fox said.

Falco scoffed. "Sure seems like it."

Fox crossed his arms. "That's because you haven't been here."

Falco sat up. "Don't pull that shit on me," he said, "You know why I had to do that."

"We really needed you these past few months."

"Oh, I'm so sure," Falco said, "You already had me replaced."

"Krystal is not replacing you," Fox said, "She's here because Peppy can't fly anymore."

"And because you want to get in her pants," Falco muttered.

"Shut up!" Fox shouted, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself! So what if you couldn't find her! You have friends here! I'm sure she'll just show up again when we need her like she did on Zoness. Get over yourself."

Falco didn't say anything.

Fox took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay," Falco said, "Me too. I'm just not ready to fly again." Fox turned to leave. "Katt wasn't the only one I was looking for," Falco said.

Fox turned back around. "What?"

Falco sighed and lied back on his bed. "I went back home."

"You mean-"

"They're all gone, Fox," Falco said, "My neighbors, my friends… all of them."

"What are you talking about?" Fox asked.

Falco sat up and looked Fox straight in the eye. "All. Of. Them. I couldn't find a single person anywhere. My apartment building was still there. My old plane was still in the field. But no one was there. It was a ghost town. I even felt dead just being inside it."

"People just don't disappear," Fox said.

Falco smiled and lied back on his bed, closing his eyes. "Always positive, Foxie," he said, "I don't know whether that's a good trait, or a naïve quality."

Fox started to say something, but just walked out of the room.

"He's being melodramatic," Krystal said, who had appeared behind him.

Fox laughed. "You don't need to go digging through my mind," he said, "I would have just told you."

"It's just so much more convenient," she laughed.

"What did you two talk about, anyway?" Fox asked.

Krystal shrugged. "Just getting to know each other," she said, "Enough about him. Are we going to race or what?"

_=_=_=_=_=_

A/N: Yeah yeah, it was short. I'm just getting it started. Thanks for reading.


	11. Chapter 11

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 2_=

_"If I had wanted to talk to you, I would have hung around after Zoness."_

_"Just tell me what I ever did to you. I swear, whatever it was, I'm sorry."_

_"You didn't do anything!"_

_"Then why do you refuse to ever see me?"_

_A pause. "I don't want to watch you get killed."_

_"I'm not going to-"_

_"I can't do this, Falco. Please, just leave me alone."_

=_=_=_=

Fox walked into the kitchen early the next morning. Peppy was reading a book while drinking coffee. "Good morning," he greeted Fox, "You're up early."

Fox nodded drowsily and put his head down on the table. "I am not a morning person, Peppy."

Peppy laughed. "Don't you think I would know that by now?" He asked. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," Fox said.

"Don't you think I would know _that_ by now, too?" Peppy laughed again, "I can tell when something's bothering you, Fox."

Fox sighed. "It's nothing, really," he said, "Just a lot to think about."

=_=_=_=

Falco's eyes snapped open. He sat up in his bed and buried his head in his hands. There was a knock on his door.

"Jeezes, already?" He called and got out of bed. He opened to door to see Krystal standing in front of him. "I just woke up."

"I know," she said, "I was passing by and received very strong brain waves coming from your room. They disturbed me. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

Falco pointed a finger in her face. "Devil woman," he stated.

Krystal laughed a little and entered his room. "It wasn't like I was searching for anything."

"I thought I asked you to stay out of my head," Falco said, "And my room is another thing you should stay out of." He spread his arms out, gesturing towards the hallway as an invitation to leave.

"Well excuse me for being concerned," she said.

"I don't need your sympathy," Falco said, "Now please leave. I wasn't going to get up yet."

"You're going to waste the whole day in bed?" Krystal asked as she walked into the hallway.

"Yep, that's pretty much the plan." Then he shut his door.

=_=_=_=

"I just had an interesting little chat with Falco," Krystal said as she entered the kitchen.

"Is that what this is all about?" Peppy asked, "Because, to tell you the truth, I've been wondering about him, too."

Fox ignored him and turned to Krystal. "What did he say?"

"Oh, _he _didn't say anything," Krystal said with a hint of pride, "For someone with such a strong personality, his mind is exceptionally weak."

"I don't think it's very considerate to be exploring his mind," Peppy said, "It's his personal thoughts, you know."

Fox and Krystal both ignored him. "Did you find out anything?" Fox asked.

"He did find that girl he was looking for," Krystal said, "But she doesn't want anything to do with him."

"That doesn't sound like Katt," Fox said.

"Why don't you just go talk to Falco about it?" Peppy suggested.

"Well I don't know this girl, but Falco seems very upset about it," Krystal said.

"They've been through a lot together," Fox said, "I guess that would mess him up a lot."

Peppy stood up. "Fine, don't listen to the guy with all of the experience," he said, "I'll just go share my advice with someone who wants it."

"M'kay," Krystal said.

"Later, Pep," Fox said. The two then returned to their conversation.

"There was another thing he told me," Fox said, "He went back to his home and everyone was gone."

"By everyone you mean-"

"Everyone," Fox said, "He seemed serious. No one was there. The city was completely deserted."

"People don't just disappear," Krystal said, "Gone as in… they left or they died?"

"That's what I was thinking, too."

=_=_=_=

Peppy walked down the hallway and into the ship's main controls. Slippy was there, flying the ship manually with ROB sitting nearby.

"Why don't you just keep it on autopilot?" Peppy asked.

Slippy shrugged. "Gives me something to do, you know?"

"Well how about we land this thing in Corneria," Peppy said, "I'm getting sick of aimlessly floating through space. I'm sure everyone could benefit from a night out."

"Sounds like fun," Slippy smiled, "I'll land us as soon as possible."

"I'll go tell the others," Peppy said.

=_=_=_=

"Falco, wake up," Fox said as he pounded on Falco's door, "We landed in Corneria."

Falco groaned. "I hate Corneria."

"Open the door, Falco," Fox said, "I thought you wanted to get on the ground."

"I'm sleepy!" Falco whined.

Peppy came up to Fox. "We're all ready to leave," he said, "Is Falco coming?"

"He's going to come whether he wants to or not," Fox said.

Fox opened the door, and he and Peppy walked inside. Fox took a hold of Falco's wrists, and Peppy grabbed his ankles. The two of them lifted Falco off of his bed and carried him out into the hallway.

"Let me go!" Falco yelled, "You're not going to take me out in my pajamas."

"Who said anything about taking you outside?" Fox jeered.

Fox and Peppy proceeded carrying Falco down the hallway until they reached a door with a sign on it. The sign said "POOL" in big letters. This room was only used by Slippy, seeing as he was a frog.

Falco's eyes grew wide. "Wait," he said, "You're not going to throw me in the pool, are you?"

"No, Falco," Fox said sarcastically, "We're just going to carry you all the way down here just to let you go."

Falco started squirming. "No!" He yelled, "Get off of me! Let me go! Let me go!"

"Sheesh, Falco, calm down," Peppy said, "Water's not going to kill you."

"No no no no no!" Falco shouted, "I CAN'T SWIM!"

Fox and Peppy stopped. "What?" Fox asked.

Falco continued to struggle. "Put me down!" He screamed, "I'll come out with you guys, okay? Just let me go!"

Fox and Peppy released him. As soon as Falco hit the floor, he got up and bolted back to his room.

"What was that all about?" Slippy asked after Falco had flew by him.

"Well at least he's going to come with us," Fox laughed uneasily.

=_=_=_=

The five of them stood on a sidewalk, wondering what to do. Peppy wanted to check out some museum, Krystal wanted to go sightseeing, Slippy said his dad was working on a project nearby, and Falco wanted to play some pool at a bar. They all just decided to go their separate ways, and meet up for dinner later. Fox decided to take Krystal around, and no one was really surprised at his choice.

"You know," Falco said, "There's a nice motel right outside of town."

Fox rolled his eyes. "Just don't get drunk, okay?"

_=_=_=_=_=_

A/N: IT'S BORING I KNOW! The action will start in the next chapter, don't you worry. I have the idea in my head; it's just hard getting it out! Thanks for reading, and I promise it will get better… hopefully.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Wait... I changed my mind. You don't need an author's note. Just read the chapter.

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 3_=

"It's beautiful," Slippy said in awe. He was with his dad staring at a brand new Landmaster. Beltino was one of the engineers that had been working on it for months. It looked slightly similar to other Landmasters, but of course, it was upgraded.

"The laser cannon can shoot up to fifteen feet further," Beltino said, "And we've brought the shield power up by twenty-two percent."

"When will it be ready?" Slippy asked.

Beltino laughed. "This is still a prototype, Slippy. There's still a lot of work to be done."

=_=_=_=

Falco sat at the bar, staring at his drink.

"You're not even going to take a sip?" The bartender asked.

Falco shrugged. "I never liked to drink much,"

The bartender laughed. "Then what are you doing in a bar?"

A German shepherd entered the bar and took a seat next to Falco. "Give me whatever you've got on tap," he told the bartender. Then he looked at Falco. "You look familiar," he said.

Falco didn't even glance up. "Star Fox," he said, figuring the dog remembered seeing him on TV.

"Do I know you?" He asked, "Maybe we worked together a while back."

Falco sighed. "Look, I don't-"

"Falco Lombardi!" The German shepherd said, "It's been a long time."

Falco looked up. "Alex!" He said in shock, recognizing his old friend. "What are you-"

"Listen, I'd love to sit and reminisce with you," Alex said, "But you've caught me on a business day."

"Still working for that crazy hyena?" Falco asked.

"No," Alex said, "He's dead. But that's a story for another time."

"He's dead?" Falco asked, "So it's just you and Ralph?"

"And three other guys we met a few years ago," Alex said, "But we don't rob stuff anymore. We actually help the public… or we used to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Falco asked.

"You have to leave," Alex said, "You and whoever you came with. Get back on your fancy ship and blast-off, or whatever it is you do."

"Wait, Alex," Falco said, "What happened to everyone? I… I went back home."

Alex's eyes widened. "Why would you do that? You hated that place! I would've thought you'd be fine cruising up in space! What did you see?"

"Nothing!" Falco said, "That's just it! No one was there!"

"Okay, okay," Alex sighed in relief, "It's okay. Now you have to get out."

"Out of the bar, or out of Corneria?" Falco asked.

"Corneria!" Alex practically screamed, "There is some bad shit coming down-"

Falco grabbed his arm and started dragging him out of the bar. "I don't know what the hell you guys are trying to pull here, but I have saved this damn city too many times."

"W-what are you doing?" Alex asked, "You're not going to take me to the police, are you?"

Falco laughed. "I _am_ the police."

=_=_=_=

Fox and Krystal walked along the sidewalk, enjoying the sights and each other's company.

"It's nice seeing this city from the ground once in a while," Fox said.

"I bet it's still a sight from an Arwing," Krystal said.

Fox laughed a little. "The only things I see from my Arwing are burning buildings and enemy ships." Fox's cell phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Fox," Peppy said on the other line, "You have to get downtown. There's some kind of protest going on, and it looks like it could turn into a riot at any moment."

"We'll get there as soon as we can," Fox said and hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Krystal asked.

Fox took a hold of her hand and began running. "Something's going on," he said, "We want to stop it before it gets worse."

=_=_=_=

A raccoon stood at the podium, shouting thoughts and giving speeches. Peppy couldn't even tell what this protest was about. Everyone was either cheering, or getting angry.

"Peppy!" Slippy called as he ran closer, "I came as fast as I could. What's this all about?"

"I wish I knew," Peppy said, "Did you see Fox and Krystal on your way?"

Slippy pointed to something behind Peppy. "Here they come now."

Fox and Krystal ran up to the two of them. "What the hell, Peppy?" Fox said, "This is just a protest! These go on, like, everyday."

"Something's not right," Peppy said.

"Where's Falco?" Slippy asked.

"I'll call him," Fox said, flipping open his cell phone.

=_=_=_=

"Where are you going to take me?" Alex asked, still trying to break free of Falco's grip.

Falco gave him a cynical smile. "Today's your lucky day," he said, "You get to meet the whole Star Fox team." Something in his pocket began to vibrate. He took out his cell phone. "Hey, Foxie, I was just going to call you."

"We're all downtown, Falco," Fox said, "There's a protest going on, and Peppy thinks it could turn into a riot."

"I'm on my way," Falco said. He started walking again, dragging Alex behind him.

"Falco, don't go downtown," Alex said, "You don't want to get into this."

Falco continued to pull him down the sidewalk.

Alex sighed. "I didn't want it to come to this," he said. He yanked Falco's arm back with such force that Falco fell onto the sidewalk. Alex picked him up from the back of his neck. "Did you seriously think you were stronger than me?" He laughed, "And I thought we were friends."

Falco brought his leg up and kicked Alex in the stomach. Alex barely even flinched. He tightened his grip on Falco's neck. Falco grabbed his hand in an attempt to pull it off while choking and gasping for air.

"It's been a great reunion, buddy," Alex said, "But I've got somewhere else to be."

=_=_=_=

The raccoon continued to yell.

"Where the hell is Falco?" Peppy asked, becoming impatient.

"Calm down, Peppy," Fox said, "This doesn't even look that bad."

"Krystal, can you read their thought patterns?" Slippy asked.

Krystal shook her head. "There doesn't seem to be anything wrong."

"We're wasting our time here," Fox said.

The four of them looked back up at the stage. A German shepherd walked onto the stage and said something to the raccoon. The raccoon nodded and turned away from the microphone.

"Citizens of Corneria," the German shepherd said, "There are some people I would like you to meet. Would all please turn your attention to the sky."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Peppy said.

The four of them looked up with the rest of the crowd. The sky was empty, but a drone could be heard. It became louder as the three objects approached.

"Fox!" Slippy gasped, "It looks like the Wolfen!"

Fox clenched his fist. The three ships flying towards the area belonged to Star Wolf. One of them landed, and Wolf jumped out. Leon and Panther continued flying in circles.

Wolf walked up to the podium. Some people in the audience gasped, recognizing him. Others didn't seem to mind, or they just didn't know who he was. "I would like to say something," Wolf said.

"Still think this is a waste of time?" Peppy asked.

Fox shushed him, and turned his attention back to Wolf.

"I know most of you don't like us," Wolf said, "But may I remind you who has eliminated the worst of threats? Not your precious Star Fox! Sure, they can handle big wars, but we do away with everyday criminals! And yet you all still treat us like dirt! Well no more. I want you to know that you need not fear us. We are only here to help you."

"This can't be it," Fox said, "There has to be some big plot behind it."

Wolf stopped speaking and looked into the crowd, and smiled when he spotted something. "Ah, Fox McCloud," he said, "I thought I had seen your ship. I know this all may seem strange to you, but we're having a meeting with the general later, and you're welcome to come."

"We'll be there," Fox called. They all turned away from the protest.

"Fox, I'm not sure about this," Slippy said.

"They're telling the truth," Krystal said, "There's nothing to worry about."

"I'm with Slippy on this one," Peppy said.

"If Krystal says they're not planning anything, then I'm sure we're fine," Fox said, "And it's not like we're just going to ignore this. I want to see what they want with the general. Krystal and I will go to the meeting. I want you two to find Falco and tell him what's going on."

"I wonder why he never caught up to us," Slippy said.

"Well try calling him," Fox said, "He can't be too far away."

Fox and Krystal headed towards the government building, leaving Peppy and Slippy standing on the sidewalk. Peppy was trying to get a hold of Falco on his cell phone.

"He's not answering," Peppy said.

"Why don't we check that bar he was going to?" Slippy suggested, "Maybe someone saw him."

Peppy sighed. "I just hope he hasn't gotten himself in any trouble."

_=_=_=_=_=_


	13. Chapter 13

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 4_=

Falco's eyes fluttered open. His vision was blurry at first, but it cleared up. He was tied to a chair. He could tell he was in some sort of ship; the motion was making him sick, and it didn't help the throbbing headache he had.

He seemed to be in a security room. The wall in front of him was covered in television screens. Each one showed a different room. Falco figured they were different rooms in this ship. The rooms were empty, except for the main control room. The television was too far away for him to see who was in control.

After some struggling, Falco decided to just wait. Someone would tell him what was going on eventually. They always did.

=_=_=_=

Slippy and Peppy had checked nearly every bar in the area. No one had seen Falco. The two entered another bar, and Peppy approached the bartender.

"We're looking for someone," Peppy said, "A bird. Blue feathers. You seen him?"

The bartender looked up from the glass he was drying. "Yeah, yeah I saw him," he said, "He was weird. Bought a drink and never drank it."

"Did he say where he was going?" Slippy asked.

The bartender shook his head. "Nah, some German shepherd came in here. They seemed to know each other. I don't like to eavesdrop, but it seemed like they were angry about something. The bird grabbed his arm and dragged him outta the bar."

Peppy thanked him and they left the bar.

"There was a German shepherd at the protest today," Peppy said once they were outside.

"Oh, come on," Slippy scoffed, "You can't make a generalization like that."

"Well where do you think he went?" Peppy asked. Slippy shrugged. They started walking again.

The two had walked almost a block before Slippy spoke. "Try calling him again."

Peppy sighed, but took out his phone and called Falco's number.

Slippy sat down on the curb. Just then, he heard a whirring sound. He stood up and looked around. There on the pavement, a small cell phone was vibrating. The caller ID said _Peppy Calling_. Slippy picked it up. "Hello?" He answered shakily.

"Damnit," Peppy said and hung up, "Well now we know why he's not answering."

"What do you think happened to him?" Slippy asked.

"If I knew that, we wouldn't be here right now!" Peppy shouted.

"Let's go tell Fox," Slippy said.

"He's in a meeting with the general," Peppy said.

"Screw the general!" Slippy yelled, "This is a little more important!"

=_=_=_=

Fox and Krystal walked through the door into General Pepper's conference room. Star Wolf had not arrived yet.

"What the hell is going on?" Fox asked.

"Fox," General Pepper said, "I'm glad you're here. I don't feel confident about this either, but I figure I should give them a chance."

"It's _Star Wolf_," Fox said, "There has to be something else going on."

"Fox, calm down," Krystal said, "I did not find anything strange in their thought patterns."

"That doesn't give me any reason to trust them," Fox said.

"They should be here any minute," General Pepper said.

Sure enough, Wolf walked into the room a few minutes later, followed by Panther and two other animals that Fox recognized from the protest. One was a raccoon, and the other was a German shepherd. Fox also noticed that Leon was not present.

"Hello, everyone," Wolf said as he sauntered into the room and took a seat at the large table. "I'm glad you could all make it."

"What is this about," General Peppy asked.

"First things first," Wolf said, "I would like to introduce our new members." He motioned to the raccoon and the German shepherd. "This is Ralph, and this is Alex." Each one nodded at their name. "Now I would like to explain my reasoning. You see, Star Wolf works hard to bring in the criminals that we do, and we get no recognition."

"Well what would you like me to do? Throw you a parade?" General Peppy scoffed.

Wolf smiled. "I had my own idea. Right now, about a hundred of my troops have put this building on lockdown. And we have cut the electrical cords, so don't even bother trying to set the alarm. In fact, the lights should be off right about…" The room went dark. "Now," Wolf finished. The only light shone through the window. Before anyone could react, Panther took a hold of Krystal, Ralph grabbed General Pepper, and Alex pinned Fox's hands behind his back.

"What the hell?" Fox yelled, "Why are you doing this?"

Wolf walked up and stared directly into his face. "I want someone to notice us," he said, "But there's just one little thing getting in the way. Want to take a guess?"

"Star Fox?" Krystal asked.

"Yes, Star Fox!" Wolf shouted, "Everyone thinks you're so big and important! We've handled more criminals than you, and no one ever calls us heroes! You've handled two wars. We've taken care of thousands of threats, and we still get paid less than you. It would be nice for once if someone could remember our name! We're still looked down upon as the rivals of the famous Star Fox!"

"So this is a jealousy thing going on?" Fox asked.

"This is about our pride," Wolf said, "You're nothing but an inconvenience."

=_=_=_=

Peppy and Slippy approached the building, only to see it being guarded by soldiers.

"What the hell is going on?" Peppy asked.

"We have to get in there," Slippy said. The two ran forward with their blasters, and shot the four animals guarding the door. They kicked down the door, and proceeded into the building.

Peppy led them in the direction of the conference room. They stayed close to the ground, hoping not to be seen in the darkness. They were successful until they reached the door, where there were about ten guards in the hallway.

"What do we do?" Slippy asked.

Peppy looked around. "We run."

=_=_=_=

"In a few moments, our ship will come to pick us up," Wolf said, "I'm sure you'll all make wonderful hostages."

"Hey, isn't there more of you guys?" Ralph asked, "Like that old guy and the annoying toad?"

"He's a frog," Fox said.

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Ralph said, "What about that other guy? The bird?"

"That's enough, Ralph," Wolf said. Just then, there was a loud bang in the hallway, followed by coughing and blaster sounds. "What is going on out there?" Wolf asked. Before he could open the door, Peppy and Slippy burst through, revealing unconscious guards and streams of smoke from laser blasts.

"What is going on in here?" Peppy asked.

Fox brought his ankle back, hitting Alex between the legs. Alex released his grip and crumpled to the ground. "I knew that move would come in handy," Fox said.

Wolf swiped at Fox. Fox quickly dodged and hit Wolf in the chin. But instead of fighting back, Wolf smiled. "I wish I could stay for this," he said, "But I've got other things to do."

A large ship broke through the large window, shattering glass everywhere. Fox dove back to where Peppy and Slippy were crouching. Wolf dragged Alex onto the ship, followed by Ralph with the General, and Panther with Krystal. "Fox!" Krystal cried.

"Krystal!" Fox shouted and ran for the ship.

Peppy grabbed his arm. "It's too late, Fox!" He yelled above the engine. The ship was already out of the building and ascending quickly.

Fox shook out of Peppy's grip and walked to the other side of the room. He hit the wall with his fist. "Where the fuck is Falco?!"

"That's what we came here to tell you," Slippy said, "We found his cell phone on the road. We think something bad happened to him."

=_=_=_=

Falco was fully awake now. His headache had gone away, and he was listening attentively. They had just crashed through something. More people had gotten on, and now they were flying again. He could hear their voices in the other room. He recognized a croaky voice as Leon's. He must be on Star Wolf's ship. He could also pick out Wolf and Panther's voices. There were three new voices, and they all sounded familiar. The feminine voice especially. The other two voices were getting louder, as if they were coming his way. Sure enough, the door opened. Alex and Ralph came into the room. Ralph went to get something from a bag on the other side of the room. Alex came up to Falco.

"You should have just left when I told you to," he said, "But you were never liked to do what you were told."

"You guys are working for Star Wolf?" Falco asked, "I didn't think you'd stoop this low."

Ralph spun around with a vicious look in his eye. "Are you saying this is a step _down_ from pathetic robberies? Getting rid of that amateur hyena was the best choice I ever made."

Falco gave him a quizzical look. "Y-You did what?"

Ralph sighed and looked back in his bag, rummaging for something. "Of course no one would think the little squeamish new guy would do anything like that. Why don't I just tell you what happened? A few days after you left, the boss was getting restless. He wanted another job to do, but we had no one to drive us. We told him we couldn't do a job, because the police were all over town. They were investigating the area due to the death of a little kid. Anyway, the boss wouldn't listen to us. He kept yelling about how we never do anything. I believe he mentioned that you and Jasper were the only ones that knew how to get a job done. He rambled on like that for the next couple days, until he got _really_ annoying. Then he decided to stop paying us. Well Alex and I had just about had it. Do you want the gruesome story, or have I made my point?"

Falco stared at him, stunned.

"Falco Lombardi has nothing to say?" Ralph asked. He stopped looking through his bag and smiled, finally finding what he was looking for. He pulled out a long silver needle. "This will only pinch a bit. And don't worry, it's only a tranquilizer. We're not drugging you."

"You expect me to trust you?" Falco asked.

"You have no choice."

_=_=_=_=_=_


	14. Chapter 14

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 5_=

"_Talent won't get you anywhere. You have to be able to perform."_

"_Nice metaphor."_

"_Thanks! And you know, Falco, it's nice to know you care, even if you have a funny way of showing it."_

"_I just did what I would want someone to do for me."_

"_I'm glad we're teammates."_

"_Me too, Slip. Me too."_

Falco squirmed a bit in his oblivion. The subconscious was a funny thing. The idea made Falco uncomfortable. He didn't like not having control over one part of his mind. But at the moment, his subconscious wasn't mocking him with unpleasant memories like it usually did. Unfortunately for him, voices woke him from his dream.

Panther entered the room. He first checked everything in the system before turning his attention to Falco.

"Hey," he greeted him, "How're you doing?"

Falco stared at him. "Are you being serious?" He said, "How does it look like I'm doing? I'm tied to a fucking chair in some fucking ship and I have no fucking idea where the fuck it's going."

"Whoa, easy on the language," Panther said, "The _F_ word does not make everything better."

"What do you want?" Falco asked, "I know you didn't come in here for small talk."

"I came in here to check the surveillance system," Panther said, "But if you want small talk then I do have something to say."

"I'm listening."

"We've taken a hostage," Panther said triumphantly, "And I bet you saw this coming. Care to guess who it is?"

"General Pepper?" Falco asked.

"Yes!" Panther said, "It wasn't even that difficult. Fox barely put up a fight."

"Fox was there by himself?"

"No, the others were there as well."

"Well where are they now?"

"I'm not quite sure about the three of them, but Krystal is a different story."

Falco glared at him. "Did you take her hostage too?"

Panther smiled. "Just the opposite."

=_=_=_=

The three remaining Star Fox members were still standing in the general's conference room. Slippy was looking outside, where the wall was completely destroyed. Peppy wanted to try to find Falco, while Fox wanted to try and follow Star Wolf's ship.

"We have to go after them," Fox said, "They have Krystal and the general."

"By the time we get back to the Great Fox, they'll be too far to even track on the radar," Peppy argued, "And the two of you won't be able to do much by yourselves."

"Falco's probably with them anyway," Fox said.

"But we don't know for sure," Peppy said, "And at least we know where the other two are. I'm more worried about Falco."

Slippy turned around. "You guys don't find this a little strange?"

Fox and Peppy both looked at him. "It's Star Wolf," Fox said, "I don't find it strange so much as aggravating."

"Not that," Slippy said, "At the rally, as well as a few minutes ago, Krystal had said nothing was going on. Either Star Wolf is really good at protecting their minds from telepathic waves, or Krystal lied."

"She wouldn't lie to us," Fox said, "She's on our team."

Peppy crossed his arms. "Pigma was on our team as well."

Fox glared at him. "Are you two being serious? It's Krystal! She just helped us defeat Andross. One little problem and you guys turn on her?"

"I'm just saying it's a little strange," Slippy said.

"We'll have to be prepared for anything, Fox," Peppy said.

"Well she's part of our team and she's going to stay that way," Fox said, "And we're going to save her, as well as the general."

"So Falco's just going to have to wait," Peppy said, cocking an eyebrow.

Fox gave him an annoyed look. "Falco will be fine," he said, "We need to get back to the Great Fox."

=_=_=_=

"What the hell are you talking about?" Falco asked.

"You'll see," Panther said and got up to leave.

"Nice dramatic exit," Falco called after him, "Maybe Star Wolf would actually win a dogfight if you were half as good a pilot as you are an actor."

Someone laughed behind him. "You should just keep your beak shut," the voice said, "You're not a guest on this ship; you are a captive."

Falco let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, I can't look behind me, seeing as I am tied to a chair," Falco said, "We'd be able to talk if you walked in front of me. It won't take up that much time and I would be able to see who you are."

The voice just laughed again. "I wanted this moment to be a little more theatrical," it said, "But we'll do this your way." Whoever was standing behind him walked around his chair.

"Holy shit," Falco said, seeing Krystal smiling smugly at him.

"Surprised?" Krystal asked.

"Well I never really trusted you to begin with, and Panther should have made it really clear," Falco said, "So I'm more pissed off than surprised."

"I figured you would be," Krystal said, "You're pretty predictable. I can't wait to see how the others take it."

"You coldhearted bitch!" Falco shouted, "They've done nothing but help you! Fox helped you escape from that crystal, not to mention save a planet. And where would you have gone once the war was over? Back to your home planet? Oh wait, it's destroyed, isn't it? They gave you a place to stay! Where would you have gone if Fox didn't ask you to join the team?"

"I would have come here," Krystal said, "That's what I was planning on doing, but of course, Wolf had a different idea."

"So you're just one of Star Wolf's little puppets," Falco said, "I knew you didn't have what it takes to be in Star Fox."

"And you do?" Krystal asked, "All you've done since I've met you is mope. You're a pathetic excuse for a person, let alone a pilot."

Falco glared at her. "You want to see what I can do? You'll just have to wait for the others."

Krystal laughed. "You think they'll just show up and attack? Do you think Fox could even bear to hit me? This is going to be easy. In the meantime, we have some work to do."

She looked at Falco intently. Falco could feel her presence in his mind. "Get out of my head!" He yelled.

Krystal smiled. "You're weak."

Falco struggled in his seat. "What the hell are you doing in there?"

"I'm testing a theory," she stated.

Falco's eyes twitched. His brain felt like it was pounding right out of his skull. He felt his chest tighten and he gasped for air. "Y-You're trying… to kill… me?"

"Of course not," Krystal said, "You aren't of any use to us dead. Now shush, I'm trying to concentrate."

=_=_=_=

The rest of the Star Fox team was inside the Great Fox. Slippy was trying to get Star Wolf's ship on the radar. Fox was rummaging through some weapons, and Peppy was doing what he did best: getting on their nerves.

"Fox, I really think we should find out what happened to Falco first," he said.

Fox didn't look up from what he was doing. "It's the general, Peppy. If he's away too long, this whole thing could be blown out of proportion. He's our top priority at the moment."

"Fox, not to side with Peppy or anything," Slippy said, "But are you sure Krystal's not your top priority?"

Fox shot him a look. "I'm not having this argument," he said "Just shut up and get them on the radar. That's an order."

Slippy swiveled his chair back around and continued to push buttons.

Peppy shook his head. "You know, Fox," he began, "Star Wolf isn't going to do anything to them. They'll be fine. For all we know, Falco could be dead already, and you don't even seem to care."

"What about him, huh? He didn't seem to care about us when he left!" Fox shouted, "Do you think he even considered any of us when he just packed up his Arwing and flew off? All we got was a fucking note, Peppy. After everything that happened, everything we've been through, he doesn't even have the decency to say goodbye. Well right now, another one of my teammates and the general of the whole fucking army have just been taken hostage. Now, to me, two lives outweigh one. I'm sure Falco can take care of himself. He didn't seem to have any trouble with that for the past few months. He didn't need us then, what makes now any different?"

"Because he's your friend," Peppy said, "The past doesn't matter anymore. The point is that he needs you _now._"

"I found them!" Slippy said, "I'm putting in the coordinates as we speak."

Fox crossed his arms. "Keep tracking them, Slippy. Don't lose them now."

=_=_=_=

Falco thrashed about in his chair, crying out in pain. "I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO KILL ME!" Krystal sighed, but looked away. Falco felt his entire body relax. He let his head drop and tried to regain his breath. "What… the hell… are you trying… to do?"

"I told you, it was a test," she said, "And there will be many more."

"You're gonna do that again?" Falco asked, "Crazy bitch! Just tell me what you were doing!"

Krystal smiled. "Mind control," she stated.

Falco blinked. "W-what? Like… you were gonna try to… Holy shit."

"Well you won't have to worry about that now," she said, "It hasn't worked yet. But you're mind is weak. You'll crack soon enough."

Wolf came into the room. He motioned towards the door. Krystal gave Falco a wave as she left the room. After she had gone, Wolf turned to Falco with a grin. "Just so you know, your team is on their way. Ralph just picked them up on the radar."

"What do you plan to do with them?" Falco asked.

"Them?" Wolf repeated, "Is that frog any good at combat? What about that old rabbit? Do you think either of them will come in here? Be rational. It's just going to be Fox. And we have a way to deal with him."

"That whole psychic torture thing?" Falco said.

Wolf laughed. "It's not just a torture method. There is a reason for it. You see, if Krystal can control your mind, she can make you do whatever we want."

"You have five other people on this ship who are willing to do whatever you want," Falco said, "What would you need me for?"

"More than you think."

_=_=_=_=_=_


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: This is going to be a short chapter.

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 6_=

Fox and Slippy were in the hangar, readying their Arwings. Slippy was inside the cockpit of Fox's Arwing, double checking the G-diffuser system.

"Everything looks good, Fox," he said, "I'll check mine and we'll be all set to go." Slippy jumped out of Fox's Arwing and walked up to his own.

"Alright, Slip," Fox said, "I'll go tell Peppy what he has to do."

=_=_=_=

Falco still sat in the chair. He struggled a bit once in a while, but it was no use. At the moment, he was just really bored.

"HELLO!" Falco called to no one in particular. He figured someone would hear him. "Is anyone still on this ship? Shouldn't you check up on your hostages so you can make sure they haven't… oh I don't know… _escaped?!"_

No answer.

Falco groaned. He looked around the room. The security screens showed that every room was empty, except for two. Someone was the main control room, obviously, but it seemed like everyone else was in the other room. Falco figured that was where the general was being held. Then he noticed something on the long table in front of the monitors. The bag that Ralph had been rummaging through earlier was sitting on top of it.

Falco looked down at the chair he was sitting in and smiled. "Idiots," he muttered to himself. The chair was not bolted to the floor. Falco managed to scoot the chair towards the table. Once he was close enough, he rocked the chair back and forth.

"Come on, come on," he said through gritted teeth. He continued to push his chair towards the table until he toppled over. "Dammit." He looked up at the table and sighed. He kicked the leg of the table continuously. Papers, pens, and small devices all fell off of the table. Falco kept kicking at it until the bag fell to the ground. Items spilled out of it: the tranquilizer needle, a blaster, a pocket knife, and a lot of extra rounds for the blaster.

Falco scooted the chair over to the contents and managed to grasp the knife. He tried to cut the rope around his wrists, but ended up nicking his fingers numerous times. Finally, he freed his hands and moved on to the rest of the rope.

Once he was up, he slid the knife into the pocket of his jacket. He picked up the blaster, reloaded it, and pocketed the extra rounds.

Falco looked up at the security screens and tried to decide the best way to the hangar. He wasn't quite sure how to fly Star Wolf's ships, but they couldn't be much different than Arwings. He studied the screens some more and came to two conclusions:

The good news was that everyone was still with the general. As long as they stayed in there, he could make it to the hangar without getting caught.

The bad news was that Falco didn't know his way around the ship.

=_=_=_=

Fox walked into the main control room where Peppy was. "How are we doing?" Fox asked him.

Peppy glanced up from the monitor at Fox, then looked back. "We'll be in range in a few minutes. You and Slippy should be ready by now."

"We are," Fox said, "I just wanted to make sure you knew what to do."

Peppy looked up. "I'm not that old," he said sharply, "I still have common sense."

"I'm not saying that," Fox said.

"I know, Fox," Peppy sighed, "I just don't agree with your orders."

"As long as you follow them." And with that, Fox left the room and headed back to the hangar.

=_=_=_=

Falco ran down the halls as quickly and quietly as he could, but he seriously had no idea where he was going.

He stopped when he heard voices. They were coming from inside of a room up ahead. Falco assumed that was where everyone was. Unfortunately, the door was open, so he had a slight chance of getting by without being seen. If he poked his head into the room to see if anyone was looking, he'd be caught. If he ran without checking first, he'd just be careless.

Falco decided to be careless.

He braced himself, and bolted past the door. No one seemed to notice him, but Falco kept running anyway. A few moments later, an alarm started ringing through the ship. Falco readied his gun as he continued to run through the hall.

"FREEZE!" Someone shouted from behind him. Falco spun around. Panther stood with a blaster pointed at him. Falco held his own up as well.

"Drop the blaster, or I shoot," Falco threatened.

"I could say the same to you," Panther said.

Falco's eyes narrowed. In a split second, he shot the blaster from Panther's grip. Panther let out a yelp and grabbed his hand. Falco aimed his blaster at Panther. "Which way to the hangar?" Falco asked.

Before Panther could say anything, Krystal ran out of a room. She took a quick look at the scene and glared at Falco, who was now aiming at her. Krystal looked to Panther, who gave her a nod.

Falco felt his hand start to vibrate, which turned into violent shaking. The gun dropped from his hand. Falco looked at Krystal in horror. "W-What did you do to me?"

Krystal smiled. "On your knees," she commanded.

Falco fell to his knees.

"Looks like we have some more work to do," she said.

=_=_=_=

Fox and Slippy were both in their Arwings now, flying towards the ship. "Here's the plan," Fox said, "Slippy, we need to start shooting so they'll come out of the docking bay. Once the doors are down, I can get in, but you'll need to create a distraction. Peppy, make sure to cover Slippy. Everyone clear?"

"Got it," Slippy said.

"Just be careful," Peppy said.

Fox and Slippy flew closer to the ship. "Alright, Slippy," Fox said, "Open fire. It doesn't matter where you shoot, just as long as you hit something."

"Heh, sounds like Falco," Slippy laughed.

Fox laughed too. "Whatever gets them out here."

The two of them shot at the ship, causing random damage anywhere they could. Sure enough, the docking bay opened moments later, and a Wolfen flew out. Fox took the opportunity and entered the ship.

"So who am I dealing with here?" Slippy asked himself.

"Do you have a death wish, frog?" The pilot of the other ship asked.

Slippy rolled his eyes. "Leon."

=_=_=_=


	16. Chapter 16

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 7_=

Slippy barrel rolled as his Arwing took even more damage from Leon's lasers.

Peppy's voice came on his radio. "How are you, Slippy?" He asked, "Your shields are dropping pretty quickly."

"I'm okay for now," Slippy replied, pulling a loop behind Leon, "Is Fox making any headway?"

"The last I heard he had successfully docked his Arwing. He said he wanted to find the main control room."

"I'll see how he's doing."

"Watch your own back, too," Peppy said, "Just be careful."

"Will do, Pep." Slippy turned the dial on his radio. "Fox, come in," he said.

"Fox here," Fox replied, "What's up?"

"Have you reached the main control room?" Slippy asked.

=_=_=_=

"I'm on my way, Slip," Fox said, "This ship is freaking huge!"

"Want me to try an analysis scan on it?" Slippy asked.

Fox heard some static from the other end of his headset. "Sounds like you've got a lot to worry about," he said, "I'll have Peppy handle it."

Slippy's voice sounded a little shaken. "Alright. Slippy out."

"Hey, Peppy, you there?" Fox asked after Slippy had disconnected.

"I read you, Fox," Peppy answered, "What do you need."

"Run an analysis scan of this ship, would ya? I don't know where I'm going."

"I'm on it," Peppy said.

Fox continued down the hallway. He passed a few empty rooms, but there were no turns anywhere. "Are you done with that yet, Peppy?" Fox asked, "This hall doesn't even lead anywhere."

"Sheesh, give me a sec," Peppy said.

Fox sighed and leaned against the wall. "Any day now."

Peppy laughed. "Ever heard of patience?"

"I'm lost in an enemy ship," Fox said, "I thought you still had common sense."

"Yeah yeah, I got it," Peppy said, "I've finished the scan. Keep following that hallway. Turn right up ahead."

Fox ran down the hallway. After a while, he came to the turn. "Okay, where to now, Peppy?"

"…eep…goi…aight...al…st…ere"

"You're breaking up, Peppy," Fox said.

Static.

"Peppy, do you copy?"

Still no answer.

=_=_=_=

"Slippy, I've lost contact with Fox," Peppy said.

"Well have you tried to- Gah!"

"Slippy?"

"S-Sorry, Peppy," Slippy squeaked, "There's nothing you can do right now. Gotta go."

Peppy sighed. _You're on your own, Fox._

=_=_=_=

Fox was thinking the same thing. He walked through the empty halls of the ship, still unsure of where to go.

=_=_=_=

"Are you ready, Krystal?" Wolf asked.

Krystal looked to Falco. He was standing with a blaster in each hand and a smile on his face. "We're ready," she said.

=_=_=_=

By now, Fox would've been glad to see Wolf, or anyone for that matter. "Anyone there?" He called, "Unauthorized person on your ship here!"

"Fox!" A voice called back, "Fox, is that you?"

"Krystal?" Fox shouted, "Krystal, where are you?"

"Fox! Oh, thank God! I'm in here!"

Fox followed her voice until he reached the room. It was a large room, with desks and computers. Krystal was tied to a chair in the corner of the room. Fox ran over to her. "Krystal! Are you alright?" Fox started pulling on the ropes.

Krystal looked up at him with frightened eyes. "Fox, he's in here," she said.

Fox heard the door slam shut behind him. He gripped his blaster and spun around to face his opponent. However, he lowered his arm and looked at Falco in shock. "F-Falco?!"

Falco didn't say anything in response. He pointed both of his blasters towards Fox.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" Fox asked, "Any explanation?"

Falco lowered a blaster and shot at the floor in front of Fox's feet. He lifted the blaster again.

Fox brought his blaster up as well. "Guess not."

=_=_=_=

"You're no fun, froggy!" Leon said as he shot more lasers at Slippy.

"This isn't supposed to be fun!" Slippy shouted as he barrel rolled.

"You could at least put up somewhat of a fight! And to think I'm missing the show inside for this!" Leon scoffed, "I wanted to watch Lombardi take down that annoying pup."

Slippy held the breaks on his Arwing. "Lombardi?" He repeated, "What are you talking about, Leon?"

"Well I guess since you're going to die anyway…" Leon started. He stopped his ship as well. "You see, we've discovered how to control someone's mind."

"How did you manage that?" Slippy asked.

"Well it's not hard when you've got a telepath on your side."

=_=_=_=

Krystal kept her focus on Falco through the fight. She had to keep her concentration or she would lose her control.

Wolf's voice came into Krystal's earpiece. "How is he doing?"

Fox landed a kick to Falco's stomach. Krystal quickly retaliated and had Falco pin Fox on his back.

"Be quiet, you idiot," Krystal whispered harshly, "This requires a lot of effort."

"Well then keep at it. Don't disappoint me."

Krystal rolled her eyes.

In that split second, however, Falco regained control. Krystal's seemingly harmless eye movement had created a window. Falco looked down at Fox as he struggled to push Falco from on top of him. "What's going on?" He asked.

Fox gave him a confused look before throwing him over a desk.

Krystal realized her mistake and quickly recovered her focus. "Fox, what the hell are you-" Falco stopped short as Krystal took back her control. Falco stood upright and readied his blaster once more.

=_=_=_=

"Peppy! We've got a problem!" Slippy said, "They have Falco!"

"What?" Peppy gasped, "How do you know?"

"Leon told me everything! They're using him! They've got Krystal on their team! She's controlling his mind!"

"Is that even possible?"

Slippy's Arwing was hit a few more times. "That's not important now, Peppy! We have to tell Fox!"

"How are we supposed to do that?" Peppy asked.

"Reattach the comm. link to the radio. Then send a transmission to Star Wolf's ship. The only down side is that we'll really piss them off."

"Yeah, well I don't feel so great about them right now either," Peppy said, "Get your head back in the game, Slip. Your shields are down to 48%."

"Gotcha. Slippy out."

"ROB," Peppy called, "I have something to say to Star Wolf. Patch me through, would ya?"

=_=_=_=

Krystal was struggling to keep her eye on Falco. The two were moving too fast for her to keep her concentration. This helped Fox a lot. Falco had taken repetitive kicks and punches, and Krystal was having a hard time getting him back on his feet.

Fox delivered a strong kick to Falco's beak. Falco fell to the ground. Krystal tried desperately to get him up. Fox walked over to Falco and picked him up by his shirt. He held him against the wall with a blaster against his head. Falco had a streak of blood running down his beak. His eyes fluttered open a little, but had no expression. Fox gripped the blaster and put his finger on the trigger.

Before he could pull it, however, a loud screech was heard from the intercom, followed by some static, and then a voice. "Fox! This is Peppy!" Another screech was heard. "Dammit! I don't have much time. Fox, I want you to stop whatever your doing and listen to me. Falco is not your enemy. Yes, I realize he's been beating you up, but it's not his fault! Look at him, Fox. Is that Falco? The same Falco that went to school with you, or saved your butt in the war with Andross, or just runs his mouth like there's no tomorrow? That's not him. Falco does like throw himself into a fight, but he wouldn't hurt you, Fox. He's your friend. You've been forgetting that a lot recently. Shit, this thing is going to cut any second now. I've wasted time making speeches. Falco's mind is being controlled. You're real enemy is-" Peppy's voice was replaced with a loud buzz. Fox looked back to Falco, who was still barely standing on his own. What if Peppy was right?

"Falco," Fox said, "Falco, can you hear me?"

Falco's eyes closed briefly. Then they snapped open. His whole body stiffened up. He glanced at Fox, then the blaster, then back at Fox again. "Holy shit, McCloud," he said, wiping some blood from his beak, "Why are you pointing that at me when the bitch is over there?"

Fox released Falco and looked back at Krystal, although now, she was out of the chair. "Surprised?" She asked, "Sorry for that interruption. Now, where were we?"

Behind him, Fox heard Falco make a quick, choking noise. He turned back around. Falco was on the floor, gripping his temples and shaking violently. "F-Fox!" He gasped. "I'm sorry!"

Fox knelt down and grabbed Falco's shoulder. "Falco, listen to me! You're stronger than this!"

Falco looked up at him with terror in his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he said again in a whisper, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Calm down, it's okay," Fox said, "You're not going to hurt me."

Falco lost it. He grabbed Fox's arm and started thrashing about. "KILL ME NOW YOU MERCILOUS BITCH!" Falco stopped struggling. His hand slipped off of Fox's arm and his eyes rolled back in his head.

Fox took a hold of his shoulders and shook him. "Falco! Answer me!" He pleaded, "Please don't give up!"

"You can't do anything, Fox!" Krystal shouted, "He's going to suffer until he obeys. You see, whether or not mind control will work depends on how someone can handle pain. Falco only resisted for a little while. Eventually, the brain will do what the body wants it to. Of course, some do manage to defend themselves, but the pain becomes so unbearable that the body just gives up. Remember how everyone from Falco's hometown was gone? They didn't leave. Falco is the only one who has survived this method so far."

In a split second, Fox was standing up, pointing his blaster at her.

Krystal laughed and spread out her arms. "Go ahead! Shoot me! I dare you!"

Fox gritted his teeth. "You don't think I will after watching you torture him? You even just admitted to killing an entire town!"

"Then I deserve it," Krystal said, "What are you waiting for?"

Fox couldn't get himself to do it. He dropped the blaster.

"That's what I thought," Krystal said, "Get up, Falco. We're not through yet."

"Yes you are." Wolf had walked into the room. "Playtime's over, Krystal. I'll take it from here." Krystal gave him an annoyed look, but nodded and left the room.

Wolf turned to Fox. "Don't bother picking up your blaster. We're going to do this the old fashioned way."

=_=_=_=

Slippy's shields were now down to 31%. As much as he tried, he couldn't shake Leon off of him.

"Slippy!" Peppy exclaimed, "You've got to get out of there now!"

"Where am I supposed to go?!" Slippy replied in a nervous tone, "He'll just attack the Great Fox."

"PAY ATTENTION!" Peppy yelled.

The back of Slippy's Arwing was struck with a charged shot. His Arwing was sent spiraling out of control.

=_=_=_=

Fox wasn't doing so well, either. He was still worn out from his fight with Falco. At the moment, he was just trying to evade.

"Had enough yet, McCloud?" Wolf asked.

Fox looked to Falco, who was still lying motionless on the floor. He had to get him help. Fox turned his attention back to Wolf, who was running towards him. Fox dodged a punch, only to be kneed in the stomach. Wolf swiftly took a hold of his neck and pinned him up against the wall.

Wolf grinned. "Ready to join your father?"

Just then, Slippy's Arwing crashed through the wall of the ship. Wolf and Fox were sent flying backwards. Slippy opened his cockpit and climbed out. He ran over to Fox.

Slippy shook him. "Wake up, Fox! We have to get out of here."

"…huh? What?" Fox sat up, "Slippy, what the-"

"Are you going to sit there, or are you going to thank me for my bad piloting skills?"

Fox managed to stand up. He shook his head and regained his balance. "Is your Arwing still able to fly?"

Slippy hesitated. "Um… no," he said, "But, there is now a gaping hole in the side of the ship. I'll contact Peppy."

=_=_=_=

Peppy was one step ahead. He'd seen Slippy accidentally plow his Arwing nose first into the ship. He steered the Great Fox towards the new opening. He got close enough that one of the wings was jutting into the hole.

"Think you guys could hold on?" Peppy asked them.

Fox had Falco on his back, and Slippy followed behind him. The two of them ran onto the wing. They both gripped the edge. "We're ready when you are, Peppy," Fox said.

Just as the Great Fox took off, Fox and Slippy could see the rest of the Star Wolf team inside the room. Slippy also felt a wave of relief when he saw Leon fly towards the docking bay.

"Get inside," Peppy said, "I'm not going to warp with you on the wing."

=_=_=_=

Fox sat in the medical room with Slippy as he tampered with the various machines Falco was hooked up to.

After a while, Fox became impatient. "Anything yet?"

"His breathing is steady, and his pulse is normal, but I'm not receiving any brain patterns," Slippy explained, "I was considering a coma, but someone in a coma can still sense things. All we can do is keep up his vitals and make sure he's stable. Hopefully he'll just improve in time."

Fox sighed. "Alright. I'll go tell Peppy."

=_=_=_=

Peppy was sitting in the main control room, even though the Great Fox was on autopilot. After everything that had happened, he was really hoping for some good news.

The doors slid open as Fox entered the room. Peppy looked up in his direction. Fox just shook his head. Peppy sighed and looked back to the floor. "What are we supposed to do?" He asked, "They still have the general."

"I'm not really worried about that," Fox said, "We just lost a teammate, Slippy doesn't have an Arwing, and for all we know, Falco could be dying. Not to mention Star Wolf now has a new method to kill people, or turn them against us. There is no Star Fox right now. Even when we build Slippy a new Arwing, there will only be two of us. There are six people in Star Wolf now, and they have a plan. What would we even do? Just show up and save the day? We're not superheroes, Peppy."

"You don't think I thought of any of that?" Peppy asked, "I'm not an idiot! We'd be stupid to do anything before Falco recovers… _if_ he recovers."

Fox glared at him. "He's going to pull through. I know he is."

"Fox…" Peppy started.

Fox put his hand up. "I don't want to hear it, Peppy. We're going to be fine. We'll go to Corneria and see Slippy's dad for help with his Arwing. But first, I want to get Falco to a real hospital. And I'm sure they have someone leading the army. They can take care of Star Wolf for the time being. Right now, I just need to worry about my team."

Fox started to leave. "Fox wait," Peppy said, "I'm sorry about Krystal."

Fox tensed up. He looked at Peppy with a forced smile. "It happens," he said, "No big deal. Set course for Corneria. I'm going back to help Slippy."

Peppy rubbed his temples. "You heard him, ROB."

_=_=_=_=_=_


	17. Chapter 17

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 8_=

The three remaining Star Fox members sat in Falco's hospital room.

"Fox," Peppy said after a few minutes, "Slippy and I are going to talk to his dad."

"I'm not going to stay long either," Fox answered.

"Where are you going?" Slippy asked.

Fox shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Peppy and Slippy left the room.

Fox sat there for a few minutes before standing up. He started putting on his jacket. "Try not to die while I'm gone," he said with a small smirk, but it quickly faded. "We just got you back." And with that, he walked out of the hospital and into the busy streets of Corneria city.

=_=_=_=

Katt Monroe sat at the bar next to a black lab that just wasn't getting it.

"You're _dumping_ me?!" He asked, "You can't _dump_ me."

Katt flipped the pink fur out of her face in frustration. "And why not?" She asked.

"Just look at me!" The lab said, "You can't break up with _this._"

"I've been dating _that_ for the past four months, and I think I've had enough," Katt said, "Now get out of this bar before I call the police."

The lab clenched his fist. He threw a punch directly toward her face.

Katt swiftly ducked and delivered a kick to his stomach. The lab staggered back, but took a hold of a chair for support. He grabbed a glass and threw it at her. She dodged again. Katt kicked the chair from under him and he fell to the floor. She put her foot on his chest before he could get up. She smiled. "You just got beat up by a girl," she giggled, "Will you leave now?"

Katt removed her foot and the lab walked to the door. "Crazy bitch!" He yelled back at her.

"Go to hell," she called back. He slammed the door behind him. Katt sat down on one of the bar stools.

The bartender smiled at her. "The next one's on me," he said.

Katt laughed a little. "Thanks," she said.

=_=_=_=

Fox made his way down the street, trying his best to get through the crowds of people that pushed past him. He finally reached his destination, and entered the building.

"Crazy bitch!" Someone yelled. An angry dog shoved Fox out of the way.

"Go to hell!" Another voice shouted right before the door slammed.

Fox looked up to where the other voice had come. He smiled and took a seat at the bar, right next to Katt Monroe.

She kept talking to the bartender. Fox waited at first, but became impatient. "Sheesh, you talk a lot," he said.

Katt turned to face him like she was going to tell him off, but instead made something of an excited squeak and threw her arms around his neck. "I thought you guys were flying around in space right now," she said when she finally released him.

Fox laughed. "We have some problems. We'll probably be sticking around here for a few weeks."

"What happened?"

"Slippy needs a new Arwing."

Katt laughed. "What did he do this time?"

"Flew it straight into another ship," Fox said, "Nose first."

"You're kidding."

"I'm serious," Fox laughed, "Peppy and Slippy are going to talk to Beltino right now. You should come back to the Great Fox. I'm sure they'd be really happy to see you."

Katt's smile went away and she turned her body back to the bar. "I can't do that, Fox. You know why. I'm really sorry."

Fox sighed. "There's another reason we're here."

=_=_=_=

"Do you realize how much you're asking?" Beltino asked, "I know you're my son, but you can't just show up and ask me to build you an Arwing from scratch."

Slippy put his hands on his temples and sighed. "Calm down," he said, "I didn't expect you to build me a new one. Isn't there a small military gunship you could just alter?"

"That's too complicated, Slip," Beltino said.

Slippy scoffed. "Please," he said, "With the right materials, I could do that by myself."

"Fine," Beltino said, "Then you do it. We'll provide the ship, but that's it. You'll have to deal with funding on your own. We can't afford to spend any more money right now, with the general gone."

"I understand," Slippy said, "I'll talk to Fox about it. We'll come back soon."

Beltino nodded. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'll try to help any way I can."

Once Peppy and Slippy had left the building, Peppy took out his cell phone and dialed Fox's number.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, it's me," Peppy said, "Slippy and I need to discuss this with you. Can you get back to the Great Fox?"

_"Later Pep, okay?" _Fox said, _"We're at the hospital."_

"We?"

=_=_=_=

"Yes, _we_," Fox said, "I ran into Katt. I'll be back later." Fox hung up his phone and turned back around. Katt was sitting in a chair at the foot of Falco's hospital bed. He had already explained everything that had happened. Now she sat staring at Falco with a confused look. "You alright?" Fox asked.

"I still don't get what's wrong with him," she said, "Someone's brain just can't… shut off."

Fox took a seat next to her. He put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "I don't know," he said, "I just wish there was something I could do." He sighed and stood up. "Look, come to the Great Fox. Peppy and Slippy would be really glad to see you."

"I'll come," Katt said, "I'd like to see them too. Just give me a minute. I'll meet you outside."

Fox nodded. He gave her a small smile before leaving the room.

Katt got out of her chair. She paced back and forth a few times before turning towards Falco. "This is why I never wanted to be around you," she said, her tone becoming angrier, "One minute you're okay and the next you're… like this. I didn't want to have to deal with being scared all the time." Katt sighed and sat at the foot of his bed. "But I want to be there the next time you get yourself into trouble, so I can get you out of it. I don't want to know something bad happened to you and not have been able to done anything about it. I want to be there the next time. And there will be a next time, you're too much of a showoff to be careful."

She looked at him. Nothing seemed to change.

"Say something!" She nearly yelled, "Come on, you like to yell! Say that you told me so. Tell me that you knew I'd want to talk to you again."

No response. Not even the slightest movement.

"You never did like to listen to anyone," Katt said.

There was a knock on the door, and a nurse walked in. Katt took that as her cue to leave. She took one more look at Falco then left the hospital.

Fox was right outside waiting when she walked out the doors. "You okay?" He asked.

Katt smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine," she said, "Now hurry up. I want to hear how Slippy managed to survive this. Lead the way, chief."

_=_=_=_=_=_

A/N: Sorry for the length. This is pretty much just pushing the plot along a little further. The next ones should hopefully get longer. Thanks for reading.


	18. Chapter 18

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 9_=

_The sound of the rain was drowned out by the angry blares of car horns as he ran through the traffic. He could hear someone yelling after him, but the voice wasn't important right now. The only important thing right now was the building… and who was inside it._

_Someone grabbed his arm. He locked eyes with him for a moment, but he didn't really see him. He quickly pulled away and continued to run. Nothing else seemed to matter right now. Not the cold, the rain, or who was running after him. He skidded to a stop right in front of the building. He felt someone take a hold of his shoulders. There was yelling. He could hear himself yelling, but he didn't know why._

_Then it happened._

_The ground shook. They looked at the building just in time for it to be engulfed in a ball of fire. There was more yelling, but not at him. This time it was the terrified screams of innocent people. He felt his knees hit the pavement. The person with him didn't move, probably from shock. More horns were heard, this time coming from fire trucks and police cars._

_He looked back to his companion, only to see he wasn't there. Instead, the person whose hand had grasped his arm was now pushing his way past the rescue workers. Without giving it a second thought, he ran after him._

=_=_=_=

Reunions were made, and everyone seemed pretty much caught up. Now they had business to attend to. Peppy and Slippy had just finished explaining to Fox Beltino's offer. Katt sat comfortably on a nearby chair, her feet propped up on the table.

"Isn't there another way to get you an Arwing?" Fox asked, "I really don't want to have to spend any money, what with all the damage on the Great Fox. Not to mention Falco's hospital bill, depending on how long he'll be there."

"Well…" Slippy said, "We could always use Falco's Arwing."

Fox shot him a glare. "Falco's going to need his."

"At least for now," Peppy cut in, "Until we can manage one for Slippy."

"We'll get you the parts, Slip," Fox said, "But we won't need Falco's Arwing. I don't want to go after Star Wolf until we have at least three pilots."

Katt spoke up from where she was sitting. "You know," she said, "I do have my own little gunship."

Fox turned to face her. "What are you implying?" He asked with a smirk.

Katt leaned back in her chair a little more and examined her nails in a nonchalant manner. "Well I do know a thing or two about flying with Star Fox," she sighed, "It's just I've been _so_ busy lately, I don't think I'd have the time."

Fox cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, "I guess we'll just have to find someone else."

Katt sighed again. "Someone else," she pondered, "Someone with air-combat experience, their own ship, and skills. Not to mention someone who already knows all of your formations…"

"What do you want, Katt?" Fox asked.

Katt smiled and laughed a little. "Isn't spending time with my old friends enough? Do you _really_ think I'd want anything more than that?"

"Then join the team," Fox said.

Katt took her feet off the table and sat up straight. "There are conditions," Katt said, "First, it's only temporary. I don't like mercenary life and I'd rather be a freelance pilot. Peppy, don't even try to pull some sappy crap on me to get me to stay. Second, no one touches my gunship. Not even you, Slippy. I know I wasn't all technical back at the Academy, but I can handle my own stuff. You'll be busy with your own Arwing anyway."

"Anything else?" Fox asked.

"I want my own room," she said, "Do we have a deal, Captain?"

Fox smiled. "Thanks, Katt."

"Anytime, Foxie," she giggled, "In the meantime, I think I have some moving to do."

=_=_=_=

Katt moved into the Great Fox over the next few days. Her ship was in the hangar, and she had already begun to make herself at home. Fox had also given Slippy the money for the Arwing parts he needed. Slippy promised to have a new Arwing as soon as possible, and was gone all day. The rest of the team only saw him when he came home late and exhausted.

=_=_=_=

Falco remained unchanged. If this bothered Fox, he didn't show it. Fox was convinced that Falco just needed time. Peppy felt differently.

Peppy and Fox were watching TV one night. Slippy was still out, and Katt was in her room. Peppy had something on his mind, he just didn't know how to word it. He sighed.

Fox glanced at him. "Did you say something?" he asked.

"You know, Fox," Peppy started, "Maybe we should bring Falco back here. I mean, the doctors aren't really doing anything, and the bill's just going to get bigger. We could just take care of him here and-"

"No." Fox cut him off.

"But-"

"No," Fox interrupted again, "Falco's staying in the hospital."

Peppy tried again. "Fox just listen."

"This is not up for discussion, Peppy," Fox was on the verge of yelling. "We can't do anything for him here."

"He's not getting any better."

Fox stood up. "You don't think I know that?" Fox shouted, "It's my fault he's in there in the first place."

Peppy gave him a confused look. "Fox, it's… it's Krystal's fault. You know that, right?"

Fox didn't say anything.

Katt entered the room. "Geeze I can hear you guys from my room," she said, "What's going on?"

"I'm going to bed," Fox said and left the room.

"Fox," Peppy called after him. Fox just ignored him.

"What happened?" Katt asked.

Peppy debated whether or not to tell her. If he got that reaction from Fox, he didn't want to know what Katt would do. "Don't worry about it," he said, "I think I'll go to bed as well."

"'Night," Katt said as she plopped down on the couch and took control of the television.

Katt watched TV for a while after Peppy left. She was just about to get up when Slippy entered the room looking as if he couldn't even hold his eyes open, let alone the rest of his body.

Katt smiled at him. "Think you can make it to your room, froggy?"

Slippy started to say something, but it turned into a yawn.

"Don't work yourself too hard," Katt laughed.

He nodded. He mumbled some sort of good night and headed towards his room.

Katt also went to her own room a few minutes later. There was a knock on her door. "The door's not locked," she said, "I can't figure out how to get it that way."

Fox opened the door and came in. "All you have to do is change the settings on the key pad to-"

Katt laughed, "What's up, Foxie?"

"I'm going to see Falco tomorrow," he said, "Want to come?"

"Peppy and I were going to meet with someone who could sell us some cheap weapons," she said.

Fox nodded. "Thanks for doing this, by the way," he said.

"Don't mention it," she said, "I missed hanging out with you guys, even if it is to track down some team of psychopaths."

Fox smiled. "G'night, Katt."

_=_=_=_=_=_


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Made it to ten chapters!

**IMPORTANT: **Lots of back-and-forth time jumping in this chapter.

Enjoy.

_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 10_=

"Hey Slippy," Beltino called to his son, "Why don't you take a break? You're been at it for three hours straight."

Slippy didn't look up from his work. "In a sec. I'm initializing the engine. After that I'm installing the new G-diffuser, and then I have to test it, and then maybe I can finally get some _real_ work done on this thing."

"You can do all that after you take a break," Beltino argued.

Slippy groaned. "I can't. I have to get this finished."

"Slippy," Beltino said in a more serious tone, "Get out of that ship right now. That's an order."

"I'm not a little kid anymore," Slippy chuckled, "But nice try."

Slippy continued to work on his ship. Beltino just sighed and left the room.

=_=_=_=

Fox kept his hood up as he walked through the streets. It was cold and rainy in Corneria today. Fox liked the rain, though. He didn't get to see it often. It's not like it rains in space. He continued to follow the street until he reached the hospital.

He walked through the doors and up to the nurse's desk. "Falco Lombardi," he said.

"We moved him to the intensive care unit last night," the nurse replied.

Fox's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I'm not his doctor," she said.

"Well then where is his doctor?"

"Let me get you his chart…" The nurse began to shuffle through files.

Fox was getting impatient. He folded his arms and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Here it is," she chirped. "Dr. Bronson. I'll page him for you. You can take a seat over there." She motioned to a small waiting area.

Fox took a seat and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, an angry looking lizard came out of the elevator and approached the nurse. "What could it possibly be this time?" He asked, "I'm very busy! I don't have time to answer every little noise that comes from my pager!"

"Someone's here for Mr. Lombardi," she said, motioning to Fox.

Dr. Bronson's attitude changed and he turned to face Fox. He cleared his throat and stuck out his hand. "Dr. Sean Bronson," he said, "Are you a friend of Mr. Lombardi's?"

Fox took his hand and shook it. "I heard he's in the ICU."

Dr. Bronson nodded and started walking. He gestured for Fox to follow. "He's been fine lately, if that's what you would call his condition. We've had no trouble keeping up his vitals and heart rate. Although, we haven't been detecting any kind of brain activity… until last night."

Fox gave him a quizzical look. "What happened?" He asked.

"One of the interns was changing an IV tube on the patient next to him. All of a sudden, all of his vitals dropped completely. He started thrashing about and screaming. His temperature rose to one hundred and six."

"How did you help him?"

"Anyway we could," Dr. Bronson continued, "We managed to bring his fever down, but we have to keep him in the ICU in case of another seizure. We can only assume that's what happened."

"You said he was screaming," Fox said, "Did he say anything specific?"

Dr. Bronson shook his head. "Mostly just cries and shouts. However… At one point he seemed to be calling out to someone. Someone by the name of… Peppy?"

Fox nodded. "Anyone else?"

"Something about a cat. I couldn't really make sense of it."

_Katt, _Fox figured. He continued to follow the doctor down the hallway until they reached a door.

The two stopped walking. Dr. Bronson opened the door and motioned for Fox to enter. He realized Dr. Bronson had led him to Falco's room. Falco had even more machines hooked up to him than before.

"If there's anything else you need to know, have someone page me," Dr. Bronson said.

Fox thanked him and he left the room.

Fox listened to the steady beeping on the heart rate machine. He put his hand on Falco's arm. "I'm sorry I got you into this, man," he said. A strong wind hit the window, causing the rain to become louder. The beeping became faster. Fox looked at the machine. The speed kept increasing. Before Fox could do anything, Dr. Bronson was back in the room, followed by two nurses.

"What happened?" Dr. Bronson asked while the nurses began to work on Falco.

"Nothing!" Fox said, "I don't know what's going on!"

"Stand back!" The doctor shouted and went to help the nurses.

Fox did as he was told and shrunk back to the wall. All he could do was watch helplessly and hope for the best.

=_=_=_=

"This is it," Peppy said, "Office number 202."

"Are you sure we can get weapons here?" Katt asked, "This doesn't really seem like the type of place that would sell stuff like that."

"You'd be surprised," Peppy mumbled. He knocked twice on the door, but didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he walked right in. Katt hesitantly followed him, glancing around the office. It was clean and modern, too nice of a room to be selling "cheap weapons."

"Lucy, you here?" Peppy called.

"Dad?" Someone called back, "I'll be there in a minute!"

"Dad?" Katt repeated, "You're daughter sells weapons?"

Peppy laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. She just helps people find what they're looking for. People who sell things on the streets are her employees. She pays them to sell good stuff for a little amount of money. It's technically illegal."

"And you're okay with that?" Katt asked.

Peppy shrugged.

Lucy Hare came into the room. She smiled and ran over to hug her dad. After shaking hands with Katt, she took a seat at her desk and switched into business mode.

"What can I do for you?" She asked, taking out a pad.

"We need four machine guns, with plenty of rounds, six new blasters, and rockets for the rocket launchers," Peppy said. "Did I forget anything?" He asked Katt.

"Some grenades would be nice," Katt said.

"I'll put it down," Lucy said, writing the items on the paper, "When do you need these by?"

"As soon as possible," Peppy said.

"Do you have a mission?" Lucy asked, an excited spark flashing in her eyes.

"The general's missing," Katt said, "You do the math."

Lucy looked at Peppy. Peppy glared back. "No," he said.

"Oh come on," she whined.

"No," he said again, "What makes you think my mind's changed since last time?"

Lucy sighed. "Fine," she said, "You can pick up your stuff at this address." She handed the paper to Katt.

Katt just gave her a confused look. "What just happened?" She asked.

"I just want to come on a mission!" Lucy said, "Wouldn't you rather me come on one with you than just run off and join my own mercenary group?"

"No," Peppy repeated for a third time.

Katt waited, expecting one of them to say something else. When neither did, she said, "That's it? You're not even going to try to change his mind? Man, if I was you, and I wanted to fly, I would be gone right now."

"That's enough, Katt," Peppy said, "Thanks, Lucy."

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," she said.

=_=_=_=

He could hear each drop as it hit the window. The rain seemed… important. It was trying to tell him something.

Someone entered the room. He could hear them talking. The door was shut, but someone was still in here with him. He felt a hand on his arm… the hand seemed familiar too…

He vaguely heard someone speaking to him. "I'm sorry I got you into this, man," the voice said.

He knew that voice… the hand on his arm… the rain…

Something bad was about to happen. He had to stop it.

=_=_=_=

Falco was twisting around in the hospital bed. Fox was getting anxious. It wasn't in his nature to just sit back during something like this.

Falco started screaming out more distinct words. Fox heard him say Peppy's name, as well as Katt's. Then he was silent for a moment before screaming again.

This time he yelled out for Fox.

Fox was at Falco's side in a second. "Stop," he told the nurses.

Dr. Bronson started to oppose. "But we have to-"

"I know what to do!" Fox yelled.

Falco continued to kick about. Fox locked his arms to the bed. "Falco!" He called, "Falco, it's okay! Calm down."

Falco's eyes shot open. He bolted upright and took Fox by the collar. "Where are they?" He demanded.

Fox was too shocked to speak.

Falco let him go and began pulling the wires from his chest and forehead.

"Hey!" Dr. Bronson shouted, "Stop! What are you doing? You're not in any condition to leave this facility!"

Falco leapt off the bed and ran out the door.

Fox finally got a hold of reality and bolted out after him. He heard Dr. Bronson calling after him, but he ignored him and kept running after Falco.

=_=_=_=

Katt and Peppy were in the elevator now, waiting as it carried them down floor after floor.

"God, this is a big building," Katt said.

Peppy made a "hmph" of acknowledgement.

"What's with you?" Katt asked.

"Nothing," Peppy said.

"Ohh, this is about Lucy, isn't it?"

"No, I'm just tired is all," Peppy said.

"You should just let her be a pilot," Katt said.

"This is none of your business, Katt," Peppy said, "If Lucy wants to help mercenaries, then she's fine where she is."

"But is she _happy_ where she is?" Katt asked.

Peppy was about to answer, when there was a loud screeching noise, and the elevator jerked to a stop.

"What just happened?" Katt asked shakily.

"The power's been cut," Peppy said.

"Are you sure?"

The lights went out.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

=_=_=_=

"Falco!" Fox yelled after him, "Falco wait!"

Fox watched as Falco ran into the busy streets. Falco managed to dodge cars and make it to the other side. Fox ran passed the cars, ignoring the angry drivers. He caught up to Falco and grabbed his wrist. Falco looked at him for a split second, then broke away and started running again.

"Dammit Falco!" Fox shouted. He could barely see anything in the rain, but he ran after Falco again.

Finally, Falco stopped. Fox held his shoulders and shook him a little. "Would you like to tell me what the hell is going on?" He yelled.

"You don't understand!" Falco shouted back, "Something bad is going to happen and if you don't let go then they'll die!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Peppy and Katt are in there!" Falco said, "We have to get them out!"

The ground beneath them began to shake. Fox and Falco bother looked at the building. In a blink of an eye, it exploded. Flames burst from the windows and pieces of metal blew everywhere.

Fox didn't move. Falco dropped to his knees.

The two stayed there as people screamed and sirens were heard.

Fox shook his head. He started running again, this time in the direction of the burning building. There was no doubt in his mind that Falco was right behind him.

_=_=_=_=_=_

**FUN FACT! **The actress who played Katt's voice in StarFox64 also played the voice of Slippy!

Thanks for reading.


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry this has been taking so long. HIGH SCHOOL EATS THE SOUL. Being a freshman is scary. Anyway, I'm in the middle of writing chapter 11, but it's taking a really long time. So I figured I would just update by putting a tiny little chapter in here. Chapter 11 is on the way.

_=_=_=_=_=_=_

=_Chapter 10_=

=_=Part 2=_=

Krystal sat in her room, watching the stars fly past out the window. She let out a tired sigh and lied back on her bed. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called.

Panther entered the room. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

Krystal gave him a weak smile. "My head still hurts a bit," she said, "But I'll be fine in a few hours."

He came over and sat next to her on the bed. He put his hand on hers. It was still bandaged from when Falco shot it. "I can get Wolf to give you a break," he said, "You shouldn't work yourself too hard like this."

Krystal put her head on shoulder and closed her eyes. "Tell him I'll be back in there in a few minutes."

Panther chuckled. "No," he said, "You're going to sleep. Wolf can wait."

"Wolf can wait, huh?" Krystal laughed, "Tell me how he takes that."

_=_=_=_=_=_

More is on the way. I'm halfway done with it.

GOOD GOD I hate school. Oh I hate Krystal too. Just saying.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: **THIS STORY IS DEAD. **I've been too busy for updating and crap. I'm done with this story, and probably fanfiction. If I feel like it I might write a crappy OneShot, but probably not.

Anyway here is what I started of the chapter, it's not finished, but you may read what I had.

=_Chapter 11_=

Falco pushed his way through all of the other fire fighters, trying desperately to keep up with Fox. "Fox!" He called, "Fox, wait!"

Fox stopped a few feet from the burning entrance of the building. Falco was by his side the very next second. Fox turned to him. "H-How did you…?"

Falco shook his head. "The only thing I'm sure of right now is that we need to get them out."

"Hey! What do you two think you're doing?" A fireman yelled as he ran up to them. "You can't be here! Did you not notice that a building exploded? You need to-"

Falco grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. "Do **NOT** tell me what I need to do," he shouted, "I have just spent months in a fucking brain-dead coma while the people I hate are flying around with the general and the only people that I care about couldn't do a damn thing about it because I had been too stupid to take care of myself. Well now two of those people are inside of that building and if you don't get us inside right now then we'll get in ourselves."

"I'm not going to let civilians inside a burning building!" He yelled, yanking his jacket from Falco's grip. "Who do you think you guys are?"

Fox pulled Falco aside. "They're not going to _escort _us." He turned to the fireman. "What can we do to help?"

He shook his head. "It'll be fine. It's raining hard enough that the fire won't spread. Luckily someone working in the building anticipated the bomb. Hopefully they evicted everyone before the explosion. All we have to go is put out the fire."

"Where is everyone?" Fox asked. The fireman pointed to a large group of people gathered near the paramedics. Fox and Falco made their way through the crowd. Falco stopped him.

"Fox look," he said, pointing to someone talking to an officer. "Isn't that Lucy?"

"Lucy!" Fox called as the two came over to her. "Lucy, what happened."

Lucy turned away from the officer. "Fox! Thank God you're here," she said, "Peppy and Katt didn't exit the building with the rest of us."

"How did you know the building was going to explode?" Falco asked.

"Please," Lucy scoffed, "I run this place. There isn't anything that I don't know about. Someone was messing with the generator in the basement and blew one of the circuits. Then the generator caught fire. Anyway, I had them cut the power off, and we all got out. Peppy and Katt had only left a short time before that. I guess they didn't make it out in time."

The police officer cut in. "The fire fighters are on it. They'll get them out."

"I'm going to do another headcount," Lucy said and ran off.

Falco turned to the officer. "You just expect me to stand here? I'm going in there." He made a move towards the building, but the officer took a hold of his arm.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Fox said as he grabbed the officer's shoulder in an attempt to get him to release his grip.

"I suggest you let go unless you want to be taken in for assaulting a police officer," he replied.

"Assaulting?" Fox asked, "Are you kidding me?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Falco exclaimed, "Just let us in the freaking building."

"I've got two people here," the policeman said into his radio, "They need to be taken from the disaster area."

A muffled response came back, affirming the order.

"You can't be serious," Fox said.

"Try me," he said.

=_=_=_=

Katt and Peppy could hear the loud whoosh of the fire from inside the elevator.

"What the _hell?!_" Katt exclaimed, "Peppy! Do something!"

Peppy continued hit the fire escape button. "I'm trying!" He said, "I doubt the power's working."

"I doubt the fire escape needs power!" Katt said.

Peppy kept clicking the button. "It's kinda hard to think right now!"

Katt shoved Peppy out of the way. She looked at all the numbers for a moment, before clicking every single one. Peppy pushed her back. "That's not going to work!" He shouted.

"Well then what is!?" She yelled back.

=_=_=_=

Fox and Falco sat in the back of a police car a good distance from the building. Falco was banging against the door.

"This is ridiculous!" Falco shouted, "Don't they know who we are?"

"They wouldn't let us into a burning building even if they did," Fox said.

"We have to get in there, Fox! They're going to die!"

"You think I don't know that?" Fox yelled, "You know if there was anything I could do I would do it."

Falco hit the door again, but didn't lift his body up this time. He just leaned against the door. "I'm sorry," he said in a quieter voice, "They wouldn't be in there right now if it weren't for me."

Fox put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "They're going to be fine. I know it's a hard thing to believe, but I know that they can get out of this. You can't blame yourself for this. I'm glad you're okay, too."

Falco smirked a little bit. "It's not very often I apologize, so would you just accept it?"

Fox smiled. "They're going to be fine," he said again, "I know it."

=_=_=_=

"HEEEEELLP!!!" Katt yelled as she smacked the door of the elevator.

Peppy sat against the wall, toying with a small device.

Katt turned around and glared at him. "What are you doing? Playing solitaire?"

Peppy gave her an exasperated look. "Ha ha, very funny. I was actually trying to get us out of here."

"How?"

"Slippy set up a program so we could all contact each other in case something like this happened," Peppy explained, "Don't ask me how it works, because I have no idea."

"So when's the help coming?" Katt asked.

"Give me a second," Peppy said, "Besides, all they could do was tell the authorities that we're stuck in an elevator shaft."

"Well maybe they could get someone to GET US OUT OF HERE," Katt yelled.

"HOW?!" Peppy yelled back.

"WE'RE GOING TO SUFFOCATE IN HERE, PEPPY!"

"I'M SORRY!" Peppy shouted. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said again in a calmer voice. "Look, I'll contact Fox and see what he can do."

=_=_=_=

Falco was asleep. They were sitting in the back of a police car, and he was asleep.

Fox sighed. He couldn't see what Falco needed more sleep for. He'd been asleep for almost a month. And yet, there he was, leaning against the door, fast asleep. Fox considered kicking him, but thought better of it.

Just then, his communication device began vibrating in his pocket. He managed to get his handcuffed hands into his pocket and pulled it out. He hit the _accept_ button, and Peppy's face appeared on the screen.

"Peppy!" Fox shouted, "Are you guys inside the office building?"

"Yeah, we were in the elevator at the time of the explosion," Peppy said, "We're okay for now, but I'm not sure how long we can last. I mean, we're not getting any oxygen. Katt's not exactly staying calm, either."

Katt snatched the communicator from Peppy. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" She yelled.

"In the back of a police car," Fox answered. Falco groaned next to him, rubbed his eyes, and sat up.

"Could you stop yelling?" Falco grumbled, "Who are you even talking to?"

"Who is that?" Katt asked.

"…Falco," Fox said.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Katt yelled, "FALCO'S OKAY AND THAT'S NOT THE FIRST THING YOU TELL ME?!"

"Give me that," Falco said, taking the device from Fox, "Katt, you need to calm down."

"I don't believe this," she said, "I'm probably dead right now."

"Katt," Falco said again, "You have to get a hold of yourself."

"Who, me?" Katt said, "I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much. I'm just concerned for Peppy, that's all."

Falco smirked. "Just hang in there," he said. He shut off communications and handed the device back to Fox.

=_=_=_=

Slippy slid himself out from under the ship. He stood up and stretched, letting out a yawn. He really did want to take a break, but how could he? He had to get his Arwing built so the team could get back to work. Of course, he could take a short break, but that would lead to longer ones, and eventually nothing would get done.

Slippy sighed, then picked up his toolbox. Just as he did, something inside began to vibrate, causing a buzzing sound to come from the tools. Slippy dug through it until he found his communicator. Fox was calling.

"What's up, Fox?" Slippy answered.

"We've got a little problem, Slip."

=_=_=_=

**I NEVER GOT ANY FUTHUR THAN THIS.**

Thanks to people who reviewed, mainly Matthew DR. I had fun being doing this for a little while and I hope to come back again.


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